By Azernews

By Yasemin Asan

Europeans are flocking to Turkey in search of healing, as the country develops as a health tourism destination, Yeni Shafak daily has reported.

Turkey has established itself as a major hub for health tourism. In 2021, 642,000 individuals came to the country for treatment, with 400,000 of them from Europe.

The county received full marks at the Amsterdam Health Tourism Fair, Netherlands on 20-21 May. TOBB Turkey Fair Organization Sector Assembly President Cihat Alagoz said that they attracted the attention of Europeans at the fair in Amsterdam.

In view of the modern infrastructure of the medical industry, trained staff, hospitality, and Turks' entrepreneurial drive, Alagoz believes that health tourism has a large foreign currency earning potential. He added that in 2022, they will also participate in health tourism fairs, slated to be held in Germany, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alagoz stated that Turkey holds a significant position in the global health tourism market, which includes countries such as India, South Korea, the United States, Thailand, and Malaysia. He added that Turkey has recently become one of the leading countries, thanks to recent breakthroughs in the health tourism sector.

“According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) data, the number of people coming to our country for health tourism in 2020 was 388,150, and tourism income was $550 million. In 2021, these numbers nearly doubled, and tourism revenue exceeded $1 billion,” Alagoz stressed.

However, considering the difficulties of fully recording health tourism data, it is estimated that health tourism revenues are between $2.5 and $3 billion together with the unregistered figures, he added.

Alagoz underlined that the visitors mostly prefer Turkey for aesthetic/hair transplants, cardiac surgery, orthopedics, oncology, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and dental treatment.

According to the expert, Turkey’s specialized skilled human resources and world-class technology and medical equipment, the simplicity in proving visas, the ease of transportation, geographical structure, seasonal benefits, and the high-quality healthcare provision are very appealing to foreigners.

“In addition, our favorable price advantage of up to 60 percent compared to Europe, our thermal underground resources, which are among the first in the world, and our traditional Turkish hospitality are among the main reasons why our country is preferred for health tourism,” he emphasized.

Alagoz stated that health tourism, which has high added value and high expenditure per tourist, stands out with its return, profitability, and sustainability features in tourism.

“While the expenditure of a normal tourist coming to our country in 2021 was approximately $750, it is estimated that the expenditure of those who come for health was around $2,000,” he said.