Published on : Friday, March 22, 2019
“Thermal tourism contributes to Turkey’s economy with healing waters, as well as seas, rivers and lakes,” said Yavuz Yılık, the head of the Thermal Health and Tourism Association (TESTUD).
Yılık stressed that Turkey is one of the top seven countries in the world for thermal springs, with about 1,500 natural hot spring water resources.
Besides being an indispensable holiday destination for tourists, especially those from Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Turkey has also seen a lot of growth in healthcare tourism in recent years. In the past decade, the number of health tourists has increased tenfold, with 75,000 visitors coming for health reasons in 2008. In 2017, that number went up to 700,000 medical tourists, according to the Istanbul International Health Tourism Association (ISTUSAD).
Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said that Turkey’s revenue in health tourism has reached $1.5 billion, and they aim to increase this revenue five times by 2030. Quality service with low prices caused many patients from the world to visit Turkey for treatment.
Health tourism encompasses a wide range of treatments, from medical tourism (such as treatment and surgery in hospitals), thermal tourism (services such as rehabilitation and rest in thermal facilities), elderly and disabled tourism (long-term stays with social activities in geriatric treatment centers).
Health tourists opt for Turkey for a variety of reasons, including price, quality, technical conditions, short waiting periods and high-end facilities. Turkey holds a prominent place in treating cardiovascular diseases, organ transplantation as well as dental care and plastic surgery.
Tags: health tourism, Turkey