Building Therapeutic Nature Ecotourism Camps for Cancer Patients in Iran: A New Approach to Health Tourism Focusing on Lorestan Province

Babak Abdolkarimi^1*_, Niki Panahi²

¹Associate Professor of Pediatric Hematology Oncology department, Hakim Children's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

²Scientific Secretary of Iranian Pediatric Independent Neuro-Oncology Consortium (IPINOC)

*Corresponding Author Babak Abdolkarimi, Associate Professor of Pediatric Hematology Oncology department, Hakim Children's Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, E-mail: b.abdolkarimi@yahoo.com

Abstract

Health tourism is a rapidly growing sector that aims to improve physical and mental well-being by combining medical services with natural and cultural resources. This study assesses the feasibility of establishing therapeutic ecotourism camps for cancer patients in Lorestan Province, Iran, and proposes a locally adapted model for their development. Drawing on successful international examples from Thailand, Malaysia, India, and Jordan and on Iran’s rich natural and cultural assets, the proposed model integrates clinical care, psychosocial rehabilitation, and nature-based interventions. Methods included a mixed-methods approach with a literature review, comparative analysis, site evaluation (waterfalls, lakes, hot springs, and alpine meadows), and a conceptual operational design that covers accommodation, on-site medical and psychological services, telemedicine links to specialists, structured rehabilitation programs (e.g., nature walks, meditation, music therapy), and health outcome assessment using established instruments such as the Karnofsky Performance Status and quality-of-life measures. Expected benefits include reduced anxiety and stress, improved psychological well-being and functional status among participants, and regional socio-economic gains through sustainable tourism and job creation. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for pilot implementation, cross-sector collaboration, and the development of a regulatory framework to scale therapeutic ecotourism in Iran.