Turkey allures nearly 1 million health tourists in 2018

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Nearly 1 million people for health tourists arrived in 2018. Yavuz Yılık, head of the Thermal Health and Tourism Association (TESTUD) said that the thermal tourism contributes to Turkey’s economy with healing waters, as well as seas, rivers and lakes.

Yılık stressed that Turkey is one of the world’s top seven countries for thermal springs, with about 1,500 natural hot spring water resources. He also added that protecting their health-giving healing waters, using them properly, and passing them down to future generations with the same qualities is also important for the country’s future.

Besides being an indispensable holiday destination for tourists, especially those from Asia, Europe and the Middle East, Turkey has also seen considerable growth in health care tourism in recent years. The number of health tourists has increased tenfold in the past decade, with 75,000 visitors coming for health reasons in 2008. In 2017, that number rose to 700,000 medical tourists, according to the Istanbul International Health Tourism Association (ISTUSAD).

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 or plateaus).

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