eHealth and Tourism

Abstract

International tourist arrivals worldwide reached 842 million in 2006. Many travellers fall ill while being abroad. The WHO advises travellers to get information about the destination especially when they have been ill before. In case of illness information, e.g. about doctors and hospitals, and communication, e.g. with relatives or the family doctor, are important. Although the combination of eHealth and tourism suggests itself, neither information nor medical science answer the question which information people in case of illness while being abroad need and which media might be suitable. In this paper, we present a survey on information needs of travellers and the role of the internet. Furthermore, we studied the acceptance of mobile eHealth services and the willingness to pay.