Citation

Solarin, Sakiru Adebola and Gorus, Muhammed Sehid and Akyuz, Mert and Lee, Chien Chiang (2026) An Evaluation of the Factors of Maternity Tourism Demand. Tourism, 74 (2). pp. 284-300. ISSN 13327461

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Abstract

Maternity tourism has become an increasingly important area of study in tourism and population economics in recent years. As Canada is one of the few developed economies that practices Jus Soli, this study investigates the determinants of maternity tourism in the country. To this end, the study applies the conventional tourism demand model to identify the factors that influence maternity tourism, including average income in priority markets, the real effective exchange rate, the number of obstetricians and gynecologists, the number of hospital beds, and the infant mortality rate. The study employs a recently introduced Fourier VAR model to examine relationships among these variables. The empirical results, based on impulse-response functions, show that higher-quality healthcare, indicated by more hospital beds and obstetricians, attracts more maternity tourists. Additionally, higher income levels in priority markets increase demand, while an appreciation of the Canadian dollar reduces maternity tourism. Variance decomposition analysis also shows that infant mortality is a critical explanatory factor, highlighting the importance of healthcare outcomes in shaping maternity tourism flows. These findings could help the government implement effective policies to promote maternity tourism.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Maternity tourism, tourism demand
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD72-88 Economic growth, development, planning
Divisions:	Faculty of Management (FOM)
Depositing User:	Ms Rosnani Abd Wahab
Date Deposited:	05 Jun 2026 01:51
Last Modified:	05 Jun 2026 01:51
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/15975

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