…which has contributed to shaping the Contemporary Health Tourism Sector
the meaning of things
…in the realm of Innovation
Innovation can be defined as “the application of new ideas”.
It is not synonymous with “invention”.
In the realm of “innovation”, innovations are either originated or transferred.
With regards to the Health Tourism Sector, this “origination and transfer” took place during the transformation of the concept & practice and the repurposing of the activity.
In the context of the Health Tourism Sector:
- “origination” refers to innovations which are sector-specific
- “transfer” refers to existing innovations which are introduced to the sector – for the first time
At the “industry” level, “Innovation Transfer” means the adoption and implementation of sector-specific innovations by “supply side” players.
In the context of Contemporary Health Tourism, innovations can be:
- Combinational
- Permissionless
- Open
In practically all cases, though, the innovations associated with the Sector are, at the same time, combinational, permissionless and open.
To emphasize the point, all the innovations originated during the “Transformation and Repurposing”, are “free innovations”, meaning that they can be freely, adopted and implemented by industry players - in a process known as Innovation Transfer.
Stated a little differently, “Innovation Transfer” is the movement of innovations from the “sector” to the “industry” (supply side).
Furthermore, with Contemporary Health Tourism, through the facilities of the Health Tourism Sandbox, resources and tools are made available which enable the industry (supply side) to conceive (originate), introduce and implement innovations (permissionless, combination and open).
the Originated Innovations
…sector-specific
For the most part, the sector-specific “originated innovations” fall under arcHTos (the Architecture & Operating System) – the “master” innovation and its Foundational Innovation Strategies:
- ht8 (the configuration of the Sector in terms of 8 Segments)
- Pentad (the systemic approach to designing, creating and operating sector-specific Legal Entities)
- Kwe Strategy (the Strategy underpinned by Blockchain Technology, which in turn serves as the controlling and operating system for the following “features”:
- Health Credits and Miles (the Sector-specific Loyalty Scheme)
- HealthGeld (the Sector-specific fungible Currency)
- the Health Tourism Satellite Account (the Sector “Accounting System” – the standard system for collecting, processing and reporting Health Tourism Activity- and its "economic impact")
- uHTas (the universal Health Tourism Services Provider addressing system)
- Waft Strategy, which cultivates and primes the Market – and keeps it perpetually engaged - on behalf of the Industry – by the Industry – and includes:
- HEALTHnab (the “smart app” for locating, evaluating and sourcing Health Tourism Services Providers - directly)
- Health Tourism Style (the upmarket Online Magazine for sophisticated international Health Consumers – think of it as the VOGUE magazine for Health Tourism)
- the consumer-facing book: The Internet Century Health Tourism Lifestyle
- Journey to Healthistan (the “game”)
- the consumer “entry point” to Health Tourism Expo OnLine
- Punt Strategy (connects the Investor with the Investee – to ensure that Investment “happens”)
the Transferred Innovations (a.k.a. “firsts”)
…introduced to the Health Tourism Sector, for the first time
Some of the innovations transferred to the Sector, for the first time, include:
- Blue Ocean Strategy
- Web3 - and the associated concepts & practices and technologies
- OKRs
- Benevolent Disruption
- Blue Sky Thinking & Doing
- Design Thinking & Doing
- Scenario Planning
- Strategic Foresight
- Systems Thinking Engineering
- dealing with Wicked Problems
- Wise System Development (a system based on knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight)
As foreseen by the OKRs (the goal-setting system for defining and tracking objectives and their outcomes) of the “undertaking”, the Originated Innovations and Firsts were deployed during the process of Transformation – which, in turn, produced the following Key Results (a.k.a. Outcomes):
- expansion of the Industry (the Supply Side) – from “short tail” to “long tail” - so that it can now address a much-broader Market (the Demand Side) - meaning more money for all
- the repurposing of the activity (from a “need” to a “want”) – making it an attractive, broad appeal lifestyle choice – for a lifetime
- Health Tourism made as much about health as it is about travel, tourism and hospitality – together with other sector-supporting services
- establishment of a Structural Framework (defining and delimiting the Stakeholders and sector-specific Legal Entities)
- arcHTos (the Architecture and Operating System - serving as a blueprint for “how to do”)
- a set of Strategic Concepts and Practices (to provide knowledge and insights during the process of designing, creating – or transforming – and then operating sector-specific Legal Entities)
- a systemic approach to creating Health Tourism Destinations – based on the Pentad Strategy
- the Health Tourism Sandbox (for learning, understanding, designing, creating – or transforming - and operating)
- a Curriculum-based Professional Education System (which leads to Professional Literacy)
- a Sector-specific Vocabulary - so that all Sector Stakeholders speak the same language – and understand the same things
- a Rating System - based on Objective Criteria (as opposed to a manipulatable Ranking System)
- an extensive, well-defined and integrated Stakeholder Base (all the Individuals [natural entities], Groups and Legal Entities who have a vested interest in the ecosystem, are affected by it or can influence it)
- a sector-specific “Masterbrand” (ht8) – owned by its stakeholders
- adoption and implementation of Web3 concepts & practices and technologies (and bringing Web3 “techies” into the Sector as Stakeholders)
- enablement of competition to become irrelevant (Blue Ocean Strategy) – because, competition is a game for losers
- enablement of the Sector to dispense with Intermediation (the middleperson)
- establishment of the World Health Tourism Economic Sector, Network and Forum
- provided the resources and tools enabling the conception and introduction of innovations (permissionless, combination and open)
- introduced the concept and practice of Assisted Residential Tourism (technology-enabled Housing and Care abroad) as one of the 8 Segments
- introduced the concept and practice of ht8 Cruise (Health Tourism at Sea)
- introduced the concept & practice of mentoring and inducting Protégés (tech-savvy students, recent graduates and young professionals) into the sector
- enablement of the Organic Economic Growth of the Sector – creating a bigger pie – and more pies
- introduced the concept & practice “user experience design” to the sector
- introduced the concept & practice of anticipating - and preparing for - Plausible Futures in Health Tourism by bringing Futurists and specialists in Strategic Foresight into the Sector as Stakeholders
- made Health Tourism “investible”
- introduced specific roles for the Diaspora (Good Will Ambassadors, Consumers, Providers of Services, Sponsors and Investors)
- introduced Luxury and Sophistication to the Sector (Boutique Health Tourism and Health Tourism Lux)
- brought about Integration to deal with Fragmentation (responsible for inefficiency)
- establishment of the Health Tourism Hive - where Ideas, Informed Opinion and Advice are interchanged
- has made provision for the Future-Proofing of the Sector and the associated Legal Entities – through “designed-in” evolution (the EMVIO Strategy - staying one step ahead of the "dated" label