Medical tourism can be broadly defined as provision of 'cost effective' private medical care in collaboration with the tourism industry for patients needing surgical and other forms of specialized treatment.

This process is being facilitated by the corporate sector involved in medical care as well as the tourism industry - both private and public. Medical tourism refers to traveling to other countries to obtain medical, dental, and surgical treatment. At the same time they could also tour, and fully experience the attractions of the countries they visit. Exorbitant costs of healthcare in industrialized nations, ease and affordability of international travel, favorable currency exchange rates in the global economy, rapidly improving technology and standards of care in many countries of the world, and most importantly proven safety of healthcare in select foreign nations have all led to the rise of medical tourism. 

More and more people are traveling abroad as an affordable, enjoyable, and safe alternative to having treatment in their home countries. Medical tourists are generally residents of the industrialized nations of the world and primarily come from The United States, Canada, Great Britain, Western Europe, Australia, and The Middle East. But more and more, people from many other countries of the world are seeking out places where they can combine vacationing and obtaining their medical care at an affordable cost. Non resident Indians form a big group of medical tourists to India.