The Image Effect on Chinese Customers’ Intention to Visit Korea for Medical Tourism

This research is to estimate the effect of image on Chinese customers when they selecting Korea as the medical destination. We propose a research model to explain the relationships of factors of medical image, travel image (cognitive image and emotional image), country image, and intention to visit Korea. Especially, it is to verify the moderating role of country image in the destination choice process. With 485 useful data collected from China, results indicate that medical image and emotional image are the important predictors of visit intention. Results also indicate that country image works as a moderator in the relationships between medical image and visit intention. This study is helpful the managers to develop marketing strategies of medical tourism in Korea.