Trends and Socio-economic Aspects of Medical Tourism Development in Poland

The growing importance of tourism in the world manifests itself in many areas of social and economic systems strongly impacting the economy, the quality of human life, and the natural environment. Medical tourists are playing a pivotal role in shaping the tourism industry. Although their primary intention is to seek medical treatment, they often maximize destination options by pursuing other visitation objectives such as side trips to tourist attractions or attending cultural events. At the same time, the interest shown by tourists contributes to the shaping of certain behaviors within a local community in a tourist area.