Theoretical Framework

The working together of tourism industry, governmental agencies, and assisted reproduction facilities is critical to the success of reproductive tourism business. If we have to draw up a theory of reproductive tourism, similarly, it has to come from multidisciplinary perspectives that include healthcare research, tourism and hospitality research, consumer behavior research, public policy research, among others. This chapter is an attempt to bring together ideas from different contributory areas to weave together a theory of reproductive tourism. The nuanced business environment of Greece, our destination of special focus, for reproductive tourism will also be discussed.

The Research Method

This study aims at exploring Greece's opportunities as a destination for reproductive tourism. It investigates the reasons why Greece was an underperformer so far and how a much more satisfactory development could be achieved in the future. After outlining the problem in Chapter 1 and a broad review of literature existing so far in Chapter 2, the study is now turning to the field research the author has been undertaking. But before investigations and results can be presented in Chapter 4, it is necessary to turn to methodology first. Thus, this chapter is intended to explain which kinds of research methods were employed and how they are justified in relation of the expansion of knowledge this study is geared to.

An Overview of Reproductive Tourism

This chapter introduces reproductive tourism and delineates the scope of research included in this book. The need for assisted reproduction has bourgeoned, but due to the limitations of technology and legal-ethical barriers the supply side has not caught up. Medical tourism providers have identified countries and regions that are relatively friendly to assisted reproduction and Greece is often listed as one of them. A case study of reproductive tourism in Greece will provide the contextual richness for the analysis contained here.

Analysis of Reproductive Tourism in Greece

After reviewing the available literature covering reproductive tourism and the conditions existing in Greece, the analysis now turns to direct encounters. The authors conducted these encounters with persons directly concerned with the object of investigation. The results from interviewing professionals and clients are presented and discussed. This constitutes the field research as part of the research agenda outlined in Chapter 1 of this research: What is, seen from a business perspective, the situation of reproductive tourism in Greece? And, what are the opportunities and shortcomings of this sector and what can be done to improve its obviously unsatisfactory situation?