Sea, sand and sun have been the key words of Turkish tourism for years. These words still fascinate the world. But Turkey has had a new magic word in tourism in recent years: Health.
Health tourism is at the top of the fastest growing tourism segments in Turkey within the last 10 years. The return of health tourism in Turkish economy is also very high.
The number of health tourists to Turkey in the year 2017 was over 765.000. In the near future this number is expected to exceed 1 million.
While the average expenditure of a regular tourists in Turkey is around 700 dollars, per capita expenditure of health tourists is over 9,000 dollars. This high rate indicates a 7.2-billion-dollar market for health tourism.
For Turkey, the health tourism includes many different sub-segments besides operations and patient care due to the availability of its geography: SPA & Wellness, thermal tourism, retirement tourism, barrier-free tourism, healthy nutrition and high active lifestyle tours.
Moreover, this sub-category is not affected by the economy and other events unlike mass tourism. It continues to grow even in times of crisis.
Turkey stands out particularly in plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry in the world health arena. Very high-quality hospitals, the capability of Turkish physicians, and the fact that healthcare is more affordable than in Europe and America strengthen Turkey’s hand.
On the other hand, the number of severe cases and diseases treated by Turkey’s healthcare services is increasing with each passing day. As a result of developing technology and increasing investments, the number of foreign patients treated in the organ, stem cell and bone marrow transplantation centers accredited by the Ministry of Health is increasing.
The health tourism has a clear future in Turkey. With the investments made, the state, private and university hospitals have the infrastructure to admit foreign patients. Turkey is going to grow each year with the experience it has gained and the investments made, and host 2 million health tourists in 2023. Thus, 20-billion-dollar revenue will be generated from this sector only.
