The relationship between transport infrastructure and tourism development is substantial, as tourists' mobility largely depends on infrastructure. Therefore, this paper examines the role of transport infrastructure as a significant determinant of foreign tourist growth in India. This study employs 44 years of time-series data from 1980 to 2023, because the Government of India declared its first tourism policy in the 1980s. To understand the rate at which the system reverts to the long-run equilibrium following a short-run shock, we use the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and the Error Correction Model (ECM). The results of this paper show a long-term relationship between variables such as air transport, GDP and exchange rates, which provide substantial access to foreign tourist benefits. Rail and road infrastructure have a minor contribution to foreign tourist arrivals. The error-correction model indicates robust short-term adjustment towards equilibrium following short-term disturbances. Finally, the Granger causality results indicate unidirectional and bidirectional causality between the variables, supporting the centrality of the transport variable in foreign tourist development in India. The article offers an innovative method that combines multimodal transport variables and non-transport variables to assess the process of tourist progression in India.

The relationship between transport infrastructure and tourism development is substantial, as tourists' mobility largely depends on infrastructure. Therefore, this paper examines the role of transport infrastructure as a significant determinant of foreign tourist growth in India. This study employs 44 years of time-series data from 1980 to 2023, because the Government of India declared its first tourism policy in the 1980s. To understand the rate at which the system reverts to the long-run equilibrium following a short-run shock, we use the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model and the Error Correction Model (ECM). The results of this paper show a long-term relationship between variables such as air transport, GDP and exchange rates, which provide substantial access to foreign tourist benefits. Rail and road infrastructure have a minor contribution to foreign tourist arrivals. The error-correction model indicates robust short-term adjustment towards equilibrium following short-term disturbances. Finally, the Granger causality results indicate unidirectional and bidirectional causality between the variables, supporting the centrality of the transport variable in foreign tourist development in India. The article offers an innovative method that combines multimodal transport variables and non-transport variables to assess the process of tourist progression in India.

This study investigates the intertwined demographic and epidemiological transitions across Asia’s five regions and empirically examines the association of demographic shifts on the epidemiological transition across 44 Asian nations. Data from 44 Asian nations from 1991 to 2023 was used and retrieved from the World Bank, UN DESA (World Population Prospects 2024), and Global Burden of Disease (1991–2023). Regional aggregates of demographic and epidemiological transitions were visualised using choropleth maps, pyramids, and descriptive statistics (Excel). Lastly, the fixed effects (FE) model was preferred over the random effects (RE) model based on the “Hausman test”. East Asia shows sub-replacement fertility (< 1.3) and ageing pyramids; Central Asia retains high fertility, whereas South Asia faces rapid population growth. Epidemiologically, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) dominate in East and South Asia, with communicable diseases (CDs) declining in South Asia. Injuries show an erratic trend: transport deaths fell in the East Asia region, but self-harm rose in South and Western Asia. Results from the fixed-effects (FE) model indicate that the size of the older population (65+) and GDP per capita (gdppc) are positively and significantly associated with the share of deaths due to NCDs (ncdm), whereas the coefficient of the crude death rate is negative and significant. This integrated regional and panel data analysis reveals Asia’s non-linear transitions, underscoring dual burdens in South Asia and ageing-NCD synergies in East Asia, urging tailored policies for primary care, NCD prevention, and demographic dividends.

Positive psychology is committed to understanding, stimulating, and endorsing well-being and has a crucial role in augmenting the patient experience and involvement in medical travel. This study aims to concentrate on the role of positive psychology constrcts in shaping medical traveler’s decisions, keeping patient satisfaction and psychological well-being as mediating factors. We used online databases such as Academia, Elsevier, Emerald, Google Scholar, Research Gate, and Scopus to perform a comprehensive literature search. Thirty-three research publications were identified based on the ‘PRISMA 2020’ framework. To do so, we adhered to a five-step process to enhance our comprehension of the available literature. The literature eligibility criterion is grounded on 'PICOS' procedure, and studies published between 2009 to 2024 were included. The proposed theoretical framework provides a valuable perspective on integrating positive psychology constructs with social media, health literacy, type of treatment, and socio-economic status to foster trust in the destination for medical travel. This trust aids travelers in making informed decisions to enhance health care, improve health outcomes, and offer a competitive edge to destinations. The study findings uncover the necessity of integrating positive psychology in shaping medical tourist decisions. This study is the first to provide a conceptual framework highlighting the role of positive psychology in defining traveler’s decisions for medical tourism.

Despite Chennai’s advent as a global healthcare hub, the city lacks an urban health governance framework capable of accommodating culturally differentiated medical demand, particularly for international Muslim medical travelers. The present study is based on a two-phase mixed-method design involving a systematic literature review of 58 peer-reviewed articles as well as a GIS-based spatial analysis of 56 super-specialty hospitals and 35 international/mid-scale branded hotels. The results show that faith-sensitive places like halal food and prayer areas are institutionally clustered and spatially dispersed, having little integration among hospital catchments, hotel clusters, and transport corridors, and associated with creating unequal access landscapes of mobile patients. The study contributes to the discussion by reframing medical value travel as an urban health equity and access governance issue, in which the city of Chennai is recognized as a transitional city where culturally responsive healthcare is practiced as an isolated phenomenon, not as a systematically designed urban health activity.

Road infrastructure is a major component of economic development particularly in the less served areas where the lack of connectivity and governmental presence are found. This paper focuses on the relationship of improvement of road infrastructure with economic development in Eastern and North-Eastern India. This study using the panel data from year 2001 to 2022 investigates the bidirectional and unidirectional relationship between road infrastructure and the GDP in the Granger causality relationship. The data indicates notable differences across various regions. In the East, there is a reciprocal relationship between road infrastructure and economic activity, while in the North-East, it is economic growth that propels infrastructure development. This underscores the need for increased financial resources and customised strategies. The findings suggest that improvements to national road infrastructure yield long-term advantages, despite any short-term effects. Analyses suggest that initiatives like the Bharatmala Pariyojna contribute to diminishing regional disparities and promote sustainable development. It promotes tailored policies for specific regions, continuous investments, and fair distribution of resources to improve connectivity and foster economic growth across the diverse areas of India. The findings will assist decision makers, legislators or interested parties in using infrastructure for equitable development.

This study aims to investigate the impact of climatic and economic vulnerability on household food insecurity in Punjab, India. Data from 576 households were collected using multistage area sampling. The study used the household food insecurity access scale and the structural equation modeling technique. The result shows that the model's explanatory strength is shown by ICS, HFIS and CCS explaining 30.50%, 37.80%, and 38.80% of the variation. Vulnerability strongly predicts household food insecurity (beta = 0.615, p < .001). In addition, vulnerability affected the income and consumption coping approach. Climate change-induced disruptions, economic inequalities and other social factors combine to affect food security.

Background & objectives Non-communicable diseases have been designated as 'public health priority' globally, and they are accountable for debility, morbidity, and mortality. Thus, the present study aims to estimate the out-of-pocket payment, catastrophic healthcare expenditures and household wage loss. Methods Field research was conducted with an adapted survey questionnaire. Data from 576 individuals from various healthcare facilities in Punjab were collected using a convenience sampling approach. The out-of-pocket and catastrophic healthcare expenditures (CHE) were estimated using descriptive statistics and indices, viz., headcount overshoot and mean positive overshoot. Lastly, logistic regression models were applied to identify determinants of catastrophic health expenditure. Results The study findings showed that most respondents incurred a high out-of-pocket payment for inpatient care. Further, at any threshold level, the incidence of catastrophic health was highest among diabetic patients. The intensity of catastrophic healthcare expenditure with diabetes and hypertension exceeded the five per cent threshold bracket. Logistic regression results revealed that the odds of incurring catastrophic healthcare expenditure were highest among respondents diagnosed with diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and stroke. Interpretation & conclusions The study recommends that the government health insurance scheme 'Ayushman Bharat-Mukh Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana (AB-MMSBY)' must include outpatient and pre- and post-diagnostic costs incurred by respondents diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD), COPD, and diabetes in Punjab. Therefore, respondents with diabetes mellitus (i.e., specifically type-1 patients) must be covered under health insurance benefits.

Neuromarketing is a marketing communication field that applies neuroscience and physiological research tools to study consumer behavior toward stimuli, viz., ads and brands. This study aims to assess research trends in the neuromarketing field on the most influential journals, authorships, countries, citations and co-occurrences. The Scopus database is used to analyze identified articles from 2013 to 2022 and for the eligible research articles, a "systematic methodological review" (SMR) on consumer behavior through neuromarketing approach was done. "Visualization of Science (VOS)" viewer and "Biblioshiny" by R-studio software have been used for mapping the keyword analysis, co-citation analysis and author occurrence analysis. It was further found that of the top 10 academic institutions, the list is dominated by the six Asian institutions. It was further witnessed that journal "Physiology and Behavior" is trending as the most dedicated and emerging journals on neuromarketing and consumer behavior. Asian nations such as Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, etc., are turning out to be an emerging collaborators and publishers in this niche area of research, thereby giving tough competition to most developed countries. The findings of the thematic mapping show that neuromarketing is itself a very novel and newest area of study and topics such as "human marketing," "neuromarketing," "consumer behavior" and "electroencephalography" are new dimensions that can be looked upon in future.

This study aims to identify artificial intelligence and blockchain technology's publication productivity and intellectual structure in the healthcare industry. This study employs a bibliometric-content analysis technique to determine intellectual structure and publication productivity. The Scopus database analyses identified research articles from 2018 to 2023. The findings of the thematic mapping show that AI and blockchain are emerging techniques and topics such as “smart healthcare”, “patient-centric”, “healthcare management”, “virtual & augmented reality”, “decentralization”, etc. are the potential and new dimensions that can be looked upon in future themes. This study advances knowledge by providing a current and future overview of AI and blockchain integration in the healthcare industry that would create new and enhance existing research streams.

Blockchain technology can enhance sustainable food security because of its distinct characteristics such as traceability, decentralized and unchangeable databases, and smart contract protocols. Nevertheless, blockchain technology in agricultural applications is still in the early stages of development. Therefore, this study aims to ascertain the efficiency and cognitive framework of blockchain technology for attaining long-term food security. This study used a review-based approach to ascertain the intellectual framework. A literature search was conducted using the "Scopus" database to locate research articles published between 2017 and 2023. A “systematic literature review” was performed using the PRISMA framework on the 52 eligible publications. The study results indicated that traceability, real-time information availability, and immutably distributed databases were the most influential factors. The results showed that blockchain technology has benefits beyond facilitating reliable data dissemination and establishing intimate bonds between manufacturers and clients. Furthermore, blockchain technology may pave the way for less food waste, improved supply chains and agricultural working environments, and more environmentally responsible eating practices. This study is the first of its kind to assess the intellectual structure of food security and augment the cognition of the in-depth examination of the benefits of blockchain technology that might ultimately provide a way to achieve zero-hunger goals.

Sustainable ecotourism is tourism that meets the prerequisites of responsible travel and environmental conservation and improves the financial well-being of local businesses. This study investigates the role of ecotourism policy, innovation, and social media as direct antecedents of sustainable ecotourism development and the moderating role of environmental philanthropy. A quantitative process was used, and existing validated scales were used to develop the survey instrument. A partial least squares path modeling technique was utilized to test the model. The study results show that ecotourism policy, innovation, and social media significantly influence ecotourism development, and environmental munificence determines the moderating role. This study suggests that tourism firms and local businesses should focus more on innovations and their applications. The role of social media and influences should also be extensively promoted amongst locals, tourists, and firms to achieve sustainable ecotourism development. This study extends the research by using the sustainable tourism theory as the theoretical foundation and validating the moderating role of environmental munificence between innovation and sustainable ecotourism development.

Household food security (HFS) affects the quality and adequacy of nutrition and can significantly impact an individual’s health. The study aims to examine the association between HFS and maternal quality of life in Punjab. The cross-sectional study was conducted in the northern Indian state of Punjab from January to March 2021 on 384 expectant mothers. The urban health facilities were chosen using the random cluster selection approach from geographical locations in Punjab, India. A well-structured questionnaire was adapted from HFS and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) that was used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics were used to investigate the socioeconomic status and food security. HFS and HR-QOL relationship was studied using multilinear regression. The results revealed that 43.9% of expectant women experienced food insecurity. Mean (±SD) scores for the domains of ‘social performance’ (84.4 ± 16.6) and ‘role limitation due to physical reasons’ (64.5 ± 35.5) were the highest in pregnant women. Quality of life scores for expectant mothers with food insecurity were the lowest. Due to physical reasons, role constraint scored the weakest for pregnant women with food insecurity (64.3 ± 45.5, 69.1 ± 43.2 and 49.3 ± 57.2, respectively, for mild, moderate and severe food insecurity). High-risk pregnant women screened for HFS in their primary prenatal care can increase their diet quality and quantity. Additionally, there is a need for multi-level actions such as policy development, resource allocation and proper amenities to ensure expectant mothers have access to nutritious food. JEL Codes: D1, I0, I30, I31

PurposeThe present study reviews the theoretical and empirical literature about the significance of international migrants' remittance to empirically analyse the effect of remittance on the productivity growth of developing countries using a panel dataset from 1991 to 2021.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilised the data envelopment analysis (DEA)-based Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) to measure nationwide production efficiencies. It first performed a unit root test, cointegration test and pool mean group autoregressive distributed lag (PMG-ARDL) technique. To assess the robustness of the findings, the study also uses dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) and fully modified OLS (FMOLS) estimators.FindingsThe results demonstrated that remittances are a significant source of funding that promotes innovation [i.e. technological progress (TEC)] and hastens the country's total factor productivity (TFP) growth. However, the study needed to have established the effect of inward remittances on the nation's technical efficiency (EFF).Research limitations/implicationsAs remittances encourage innovation and TFP growth (TFPG), the concerned governments must create favourable and enabling economic environments to increase remittance inflows, which will have far-reaching growth repercussions.Originality/valueThe present study emphasises the connection between remittances and productivity growth, the disintegration of TFP, advanced econometric techniques and contribution to research policy. Despite prior literature exploring the effect of remittances on economic growth, a dearth of literature exists on how remittances affect a country's productivity. The output-based MPI methodology used in this study offered a nuanced understanding of how remittances affect many facets of productivity growth in developing nations.

Neuromarketing is perceived as burgeoning innovation in marketing research which facilitates understanding consumer behaviour and decision-making. Given this potential, still, most enterprises resist implementing neuromarketing techniques. Therefore, this study aims to identify the determinants that limits the application of neuromarketing. An extensive literature review was performed on databases such as Emerald, Jstor, Sage, Scopus and Web of Science. The inclusion criteria are grounded upon the 'Population Intervention Comparison Outcome Study' procedure and articles restricted to the English language, published between 2007 and July 2022 and indexed under peer-reviewed journals. A total of 36 research articles are included and not even a single study was obtained from Mediterranean & Middle East. Sixteen key determinants were acknowledged under the subcategory of psychological and operational variables as presented in the conceptual framework. These identified variables trigger psychological and operation constraints in decision making, thereby limiting the application of neuromarketing decisions. This study directs the need for a general level of cognizance and acknowledgment about neuromarketing, further developing the innovation culture in business corporates and affiliate marketing research needs to neuromarketing techniques.

The purpose of the chapter is to study the impact of social media influencers on shaping customer engagement. The primary research was conducted to derive the people's perceptions regarding the social media influencers' roles. The survey of 1013 consumers, mainly young and middle-aged educated consumers who are following more than one social media influencer, reveals that social media influencers significantly impact consumers' perceived brand value, satisfaction with brand ,and favourability of brand.

Sharing online content on social media platforms has opened the door to a new era of marketing communication in many fields, including tourism. This paper concentrates on the role of social media influencers' (SMI's) content, their follower ratio and regular engagement in travel decision-making keeping trust as a mediating factor. Emerald, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Scopus are used to conduct a comprehensive literature search. To do so, this study conducts a comprehensive systematic review of 36 publications on social media, influencers and travel decision-making using the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews protocol. The proposed conceptual model offers insights into how travellers embrace the attributes of social media influencers while making travel decisions. Building on the framework and the respective constructs proposed in the present study contributes to augmenting social engagement characteristics of SMIs to strengthen the tourism business ecosystem for the future. There is a need for a partnership between SMIs and destination marketing organisations (DMOs), which would tap into their vast potential. DMOs can leverage the power of SMIs to connect with potential travellers and cultivate dependable relationships with their followers by understanding the relationship between the elements that affect travellers' decision-making during the trip planning process.

Abstract Background Diabetes mellitus is an obtrusive universal health emergency in developed and developing countries, including India. With the exponential rise of epidemiological conditions, the costs of treating and managing diabetes are on an upsurge. This study aimed to estimate the cost of diabetes and determine the determinants of the total cost among diabetic patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was executed in the northern state of Punjab, India. It involves the multi-stage area sampling technique and data was collected through a self-structured questionnaire adapted following the “WHO STEPS Surveillance” manual. Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests were performed to compare the cost differences in socio-demographic variables. Lastly, multiple linear regression was conducted to determine and evaluate the association of the dependent variable with numerous influential determinants. Results The urban respondents' average direct and indirect costs are higher than rural respondents. Age manifests very eccentric results; the highest mean direct outpatient care expenditure of ₹52,104 was incurred by the respondents below 20 years of age. Gender, complications, income, history of diabetes and work status were statistically significant determinants of the total cost. Study reports a rapid increase in the median annual direct and indirect cost from ₹15,460 and ₹3572 in 1999 to ₹34,100 and ₹4200 in 2021. Conclusions The present study highlights that the economic jeopardy of diabetes can be managed by educating people about diabetes and its associated risk factors. The economic burden of diabetes could be restrained by formulating new health policies and promoting the use of generic medicines. The result of the study directs that expenditure on outpatient care is to be reimbursed under the ‘Ayushman Bharat-Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’.

Purpose Accessibility to a precise tool for healthcare management and self-precaution among diabetic patients is an absolute necessity. This paper aims to develop and validate diabetes-related awareness instrument (DRAI) – an instrument that measures diabetics awareness about risk factors and prevention strategies. Design/methodology/approach The reliability and validity of the DRAI were tested with a sample of 112 diabetics. The construct validity of the DRAI was measured using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Item discrimination, reliability, usefulness and validity of the items were determined by performing Cronbach's alpha, item difficulty and discrimination index analysis. Findings The study finds DRAI – a reliable and valid instrument to assess diabetics awareness towards diabetes mellitus, its associated risk factors and prevention strategies. The value of Cronbach's alpha for all three constructs was above the threshold level of 0.70. Under exploratory factor analysis, “Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin” test value of 0.805 exhibits a meritorious sample adequacy and “Bartlet's test of Sphericity” was statistically significant with p = 0.032. Therefore, results of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that all fitness indices of the model to be excellent fit. Practical implications The present instrument can help to determine whether the individual is susceptible to diabetes, timely prevention and reduction in the incidence of diabetes mellitus. Originality/value DRAI is the first of its kind tool to assess the awareness and knowledge about diabetes-related risk factors and prevention strategies in such a demographically diverse population of India.

Medical tourism attracts medical vacationers by promoting its uniform vacation ease, healthcare know-how, proficiency, and comprehensible amenities. With the upsurge in COVID-19 cases and no therapeutic treatment, non-pharmaceutical intrusions are the utmost priority. Unprecedented travel limitations and homestay restrictions are posing a huge economic burden to the tourism industry. The present study aims to identify determinants inciting sustainable e-medical tourism post COVID-19 pandemic. The study is advanced from the theoretical outlook, systematically determining and scrutinizing the prior literature to discuss the determinants which encourage e-medical tourism. The results of the study highlight that resource and management assistance, electronic supporting facilities, demand issues, technological intervention, and situational glitches act as major aspects of perseverance of e-medical tourism. An apparent limitation of the present study is the absence of contributions based on empirical data.