The Daily Sabah has published data from TurkStat which claims that 551,748 tourists visited Turkey for health-oriented services in 2018, an increase of 27.3% compared to 2017. Ankara Health Tourism Association (ASTUD) Chairman says that by 2023, the country is aiming for a US$20 billion share in the world health tourism market.
The article says that Turkey has recently made significant investments in health tourism, especially in city hospitals and thermal facilities. It states that ‘around’ 551,748 tourists visited Turkey for health-oriented services last year, an increase of 27.3 percent compared to the previous year, according to Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) data.
The article quotes Ankara Health Tourism Association (ASTUD) Chairman Fatih Somuncu saying that Turkey is visited by citizens from different nations for the treatment of almost every health problem. Somuncu added that the country is mostly preferred for surgeries and operations related to eye diseases, oncology, orthopedics, aesthetics and hair transplantation.
The article says that looking at the official figures, the number of medical tourists entering Turkey during the 2009-2018 period increased, except for in 2010 and 2015. It says ‘in this scope Turkey hosted:
- 201,222 people in 2009
- 163,252 people in 2010
- 187,363 people in 2011
- 216,229 people in 2012
- 267,461 people in 2013
- 414,658 people in 2014
- 360,180 people in 2015
- 377,384 people in 2016
- 433,292 people in 2017
- 551,748 people in 2018′
Somuncu is also quoted saying that the sector is working with great effort in order to increase its awareness and income in health tourism, adding that in 2023, they aim for a US$20 billion share in the world health tourism market.
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