Background: This study sought to provide a comprehensive analysis of the medical tourism supply chain (MTSC) in Shiraz, Iran, to improve the city’s potential tourism market share in the post-COVID-19 future. In doing so, the study relied on a mixed research methodology. Primarily, interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders involved in Shiraz’s MTSC, including general policymakers, managers of private/public healthcare providers, travel agency managers, and managers of medical tourism companies. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were then analyzed according to the systematic approach of grounded theory (GT).
Results: The results helped to configure a model that analyzed Shiraz’s MTSC, which included 6 main dimensions, 17 sub-dimensions, and 48 criteria. To detect any interrelationships among the criteria, the model was further analyzed quantitatively through the rough Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method.
Conclusion: Proposing a novel methodology in medical tourism research, the study could practically contribute to different stakeholders in the medical tourism industry in Shiraz.