Turkey Aims to Increase Medical Tourism Revenue to $3 Billion

Turkey is striving to position itself as a key destination for global medical tourists, with the goal of boosting revenues from health tourism to $3 billion.

Experts suggest that the country may surpass France to become the second most sought-after European holiday spot after Spain, largely due to its burgeoning medical tourism sector.

In the previous year, Turkey witnessed a record influx of 1.2 million medical tourists, a significant surge from the 670,000 visitors in 2021.

The number of medical tourists visiting Turkey stood at approximately 408,000 in 2020, during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted global travel and tourism. In 2015, a mere 395,000 foreigners sought health services in Turkey.

Medical tourism revenues soared to $2.1 billion in 2022, up from $1.7 billion the previous year. In contrast, in 2015, revenues from medical tourism were a modest $638,000.

During the first half of 2023, Turkey welcomed 746,290 international medical tourists, with the revenue from health tourism already surpassing $1 billion.

According to the International Health Services Inc. (USHAŞ), the clinical branches most preferred by international patients in Turkey are gynecology, internal medicine, ophthalmology, medical biochemistry, general surgery, dentistry, orthopedics, and traumatology.

Hair transplant procedures have gained significant popularity among foreigners visiting Turkey in recent years.

To further bolster revenues from medical tourism to $3 billion, a trade fair is scheduled to take place in Ankara from November 16 to 19.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to inaugurate the event, with Health Minister Fahrettin Koca delivering a keynote address.

The sixth edition of TRAVELEXPO is expected to draw 100 procurement representatives from 20 countries’ health sectors, including France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Iran, Iraq, Cameroon, Uganda, Zambia, and Kenya.

Turkish private and public hospitals in Ankara will showcase their services at the event.

According to Ahmet Aksu, President of the Health Diplomacy Association, the trade fair will serve as a significant milestone for Ankara to tap into the global medical tourism market.

Ankara is projected to cater to 24 percent of international medical tourists in 2024, translating to over 500,000 patients and revenue exceeding $750 million.

In the previous year, Turkey welcomed 44.6 million foreign tourists, marking an 80 percent increase from 2021.

During the first nine months of 2023, the number of international visitors to Turkey rose by nearly 13 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 39.2 million.

Tourism revenues for the country during the first nine months of the year surged by 20 percent year-on-year to $42 billion.