Health tourism revenues may reach $20 billion

ISTANBUL

Türkiye has the potential to boost its revenues from health tourism to $20 billion if appropriate steps are taken, according to Health Tourism Association of Türkiye (TÜSATDER) President Servet Terziler.

The industry generated $4 billion in revenues through cosmetic surgery, hair transplant, dentistry and general health services last year, Terziler said, noting that the health tourism revenues stood at a record $3 billion in 2019.

In 2020, the industry’s revenues declined slightly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Terziler said. “We made a good and strong start to 2023. However, there was a slowdown for about a month because of the earthquakes [which hit the southern provinces in early February]. Yet, the activity in the sector started to gain momentum as of the end of March.”

The target is to generate record revenue this year, Terziler said, adding that by taking the necessary steps, revenues from health tourism may increase to as much as $20 billion.

Terziler proposed stricter inspections to prevent unfair competition in the industry. He noted that non-medical people perform hair transplant operations at hospitals, calling on authorities to put an end to this practice.

“Some people rent rooms at hospitals providing documents which show authorized experts will perform the hair transplant operation. But later, those non-medial people do the operation. This damages the reputation of both the hospital and the country.”

Medical schools should have hair plant classes in their curriculum for nurses and anesthetists who will work in this field, Terziler suggested.

He also called for more support from the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA) for the health tourism sector.

There are more than 2,000 establishments performing hair transplant operations, he said. “But over 90 percent of those are ‘under the counter’ businesses. They are not inspected, meaning they offer low-quality service. They also offer such operations at cheaper prices, preventing the country from generating more money from health tourism.”

The Service Exporters’ Association has a list that helps potential patients from foreign countries see if the health institutions they plan to visit are accredited, Terziler explained, adding the players in the sector should support this system for providing better services.