Health Tourism

Name of the study program

HEALTH TOURISM

Duration of the study program (ECTS)

2 years / 120 ECTS

Module

Postgraduate specialist study

Summery

Health tourism is the postgraduate specialist study organised at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management (FTHM) Opatija, and courses are performed with the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka. In order to ensure a uniform starting position for all students, candidates are offered 3 courses within the framework of a pre-trimester, which enable them to acquire the minimum general knowledge in the scientific fields that were not included in the graduate programmes that they have previously completed. Students have the same obligations during first and second trimester. In the first trimester students attend 6 mandatory courses and in the second trimester 3 mandatory and 6 elective courses, out of which 2 are chosen among the list of different courses from medicine (group “A”), business economics and tourism (group “B”) and other relevant fields (group “C”). During the second year of study, students attend practice in the health-tourism institutions, prepare remaining exams and prepare and present / defend specialist master thesis. The total of 120 ECTS credits are acquired as follows: (1) 9 ECTS through the acquisition of missing knowledge eg. from the areas that were not included in the previous level of study (7,5%), 27 ECTS from mandatory courses (22,5 %), 18 ECTS from elective courses (15,0%), 14 ECTS from practical education in the health-tourism institutions (11,7%) and 52 ECTS through the presentation /defense of specialist master thesis (43,3%).

Academic title

  • a university health tourism specialist” (CRO: sveučilišni/a specijalist/ specijalistica zdravstvenog turizma)
  • Abs: “univ. spec. oec”

Learning Outcomes

Acquire specific knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for managing health-tourism institutions (operational and strategic decision making process) It is an interdisciplinary approach that consists of the theoretical framework followed by Croatian strategic documents directions, global trends and best practice examples. The following learning outcomes are provided:

  • knowledge on health-tourism categories from different point of view, as well relevant influential factors of health-tourism development;
  • be able to get involved into the process of planning, control and reporting system, as well as in preparing health-tourism policy from company to the national level;
  • use modern information technology in preparing relevant health-tourism information as the preconditions for raising competitiveness in the health-tourism market;
  • shaping health-tourism product in the destination, following health-tourism trends and EU scenarios of health-tourism development in the tourism market (eg. healthy eating and nutrition or diet-therapy, services for people with special medical-conditioned needs…)
  • follow an interdisciplinary approach in preparing products and services at company level (hotels with wellness/spa orientation, special hospitals, health/spa resorts, small businesses…)
  • chosing the most suitable method for managing costs, revenues and internal results (segment level) in achieving business success
  • contributing to the develpment of the regulation through setting criteria for the health-tourism services categorization which will raise the destination's health-tourism products and services
  • following global trends and best practice examples as the basis for the health-tourism development on all hierarchical levels (from company to national level), be active in the professional associations through continuous quality improvement in taking certifications, and accessing the EU funds;
  • actively participate in scientific and professional conferences, projects and other activities, especially those that are organised and supported by the Health Tourism Cluster;
  • develop appropriate wellness and medical tourism services (prevention, diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation ...), taking into account the benefits of natural healing factors and other resources;
  • use innovative procedures in creating added values to achieve progressive growth rate.

Contact

FTHM Opatija, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Tel: ++385 51 294 199 ;  Fax: ++385 51 294 226

Web site

https://www.fthm.uniri.hr/spec-zt-o-studiju