Recuperation Tourism from Healers’ and Care Recipients’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Recently, health tourism has become one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Egypt occupies a distinguished location on the chart of therapeutic tourism. However, this discipline suffers from a sort of skepticism in general interest of public health. Aim of the study: Explore healers’ and care recipients’ perspectives about recuperationtourism. Subjects and Methods; Design: A qualitative approach was adopted to address the research question, which allowed for in-depth exploration of the unique perspectives of 10 healers and 10 care recipients using recuperative therapeutic techniques as Sulphurous water springs, Salt caves, or Sand burial. Setting: The study took place in three famous recuperative districts affiliated to New Valley Governorate; they are Dakhla, Kharga and Farafra. Tool of data collection: An individual semi-structured inductive interview was used; it included two parts for each category of participants. Part I: Face sheet; and Part II: The main study questions (experience). Data analysis began with verbatim transcription, then data was sorted into codes and then into higher order themes. Results: Healers’ passion, belief inthe therapeutic power of natural resources, plus their expertise were remarkable perspectives. Meanwhile, care recipients suffering from persistent health issue, and their confidence in the healing ability of these recuperative techniques were two main driving forces to use it. Conclusion: Egyptian healers' expertise and care recipients’ confidence intherapeutic techniques healing ability, as well as the Egyptian government's interest in raising awareness about it, has increased the demand for recuperation tourism as a promising issue. Also, it is noteworthy that both healers’ and care recipients’ perspectives crisscrossed in the importance of science for the evolution of recuperation tourism. Recommendations: Recuperative therapeutic techniques are better to be taught in universities to be on scientificbase. Moreover, from researchers’ point of view, license of competence must be given to healers to guarantee high level of safety of care recipients.