In the globalizing world, the increase in cooperation between countries, freedom of travel and opportunities, providing convenience in transportation, the development of quality in health care in different parts of the world, both individual and budget-related difficulties in health care financing have increased the importance of the concept of health tourism in the world. Today, the problems that occur as a result of industrialization and urbanization have negative effects on human and public health. In unhealthy societies, workforce and production capacity are decreasing. In order to protect human health, increase labor productivity and production, natural tourism resources (clean air, sun, healing thermal waters, climate) opportunities are utilized. Health tourism; In short, it is the visit of individuals to a country other than their country of residence in order to receive both preventive, curative, rehabilitative and health-promoting services. Health tourism is a sector that allows the growth of health institutions by using the mobility potential for international health purposes.
Health tourism;
- Thermal Health Tourism
- Medical Tourism
- Elderly Tourism (3rd Age Tourism,
- Age Tourism)
- It includes the concepts of Disabled Tourism
In addition, international patient classification was made by the Ministry of Health as follows;
- “Medical Tourist” for people who travel to another place to gain health from their place of residence,
- “Patient Receiving Services within the Scope of Tourist Health” for tourists who have to receive emergency or unplanned health services during their holidays,
- “Patient Coming from Countries with Bilateral Agreements in the Field of Health” to those who come to Turkey within the scope of bilateral agreements made by the Ministry of Health with some countries in many areas related to health,
- Persons who come to Turkey to benefit from each other’s health services within the scope of the agreement between social security institutions are called “Patient Coming from Countries Contracted with the Social Security Institution”.
This definition of the Ministry of Health clearly defines the sub-headings of only the medical tourism part of health tourism unique to our country. Unfortunately, this point of view is the same for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which is the other locomotive pillar of the function of directing health tourism for the last 10 years. Turkey is one of the rare countries that have the chance to provide services in all the titles of health tourism, which is defined under 4 different headings as medical, thermal health, elderly and disabled. Since tourists in health tourism have both a treatment and a holiday purpose, their expectations and the added value they create are also high.
Health tourism is an important foreign exchange earning activity, and as a country with tourism potential, increasing the attractiveness of Turkey with other alternative tourism types will ensure the revival of tourism in 12 months of the year. In the medical tourism part of health tourism, our country has started to attack in recent years. With the investments made in recent years, it has become more influential in the field of health tourism. As a matter of fact, in 2014, nearly half a million people, including patients coming for health tourism and those receiving services within the scope of tourist health, received treatment in our country. About half of this has been evaluated within the scope of health tourism. This number is expected to increase in the coming years.
In the 10th Development Plan, this figure is targeted as 750,000 for foreign patients who come for medical treatment only. In other words, a numerical increase of 300% is expected in the next 4 years. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) states that in 2015, the number of people who will travel for health purposes will reach 20 million. According to the 10th Development Plan Health Tourism Development Program Action Plan targets, 435,000 health care visitors from the world health tourism sector were foreseen to our country in 2015. This figure covers 2.2% of the 2015 estimation determined by the WTO. However, it is very important to determine the path to the target through the Health Tourism Coordination Board (SATURK) of the health tourism policies of Turkey, which has not yet been coordinated.
The most preferred countries in the field of health tourism; USA, India, Cuba, Costa Rica, Thailand, Singapore, Colombia, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, Germany and South Korea. South and Central American countries generally offer services to American citizens seeking treatment options outside the United States due to very high treatment costs. Malaysia, on the other hand, receives about 75% of its patients from the immediate environment such as Indonesia and the Philippines for better medical service. The most common cross-border patient movement in European countries is again the movements experienced in unity. For example, 60% of patients coming to Belgium from abroad come from the Netherlands, and 92% from neighboring EU countries.
