Does traditional Chinese medicine attract inbound tourists to China? An investigation from Russian tourists’ perspectives
Tianyu Ying, Jun Wen, Xiaoyuan Tan
Abstract
The health and medical functions of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been confirmed in the medical literature. For instance, the approach has been found useful in treating several types of cancer without reported severe adverse effects (Zhai et al., 2019). According to the World Health Organization (2001), traditional medicine is holistic; it incorporates plant-, animal-, and/or mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, and manual techniques and exercises, either alone or in combination, to treat and prevent illness and to maintain overall wellbeing. TCM, as the focus of this paper, is one of the oldest surviving forms of traditional medicine and has been gradually adopted by ethnic groups worldwide (Chan, 2005). TCM encompasses a system of healing that developed in China roughly 3,000 years ago, integrating herbal medicine, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage, and other methods (Yu et al., 2006).