In 2017, more than 1 million people came to Turkey for health tourism and they provided more than $ 10 billion of foreign currency inflow to Turkey.
Turkey Medical Tourism Development Council Member, Özlem Safiye Kurt, stated that Turkey is the pioneer and reference country in the field of hair transplantation in the world. She said that “Turkey is one of the leading countries in the world for hair transplantation. Our doctors dealing with the health tourism have great dexteriy and talent across the globe. Day by day, our success in this area are spread throughout the world. Now hair transplantation operations are carried out in a high quality and safe manner in almost every corner of Turkey.”
The achievements in obtaining high quality plantation procedure and the new created hair in Turkey are above the world standards. She used the expression that “All eyes in the world have turned to the Turkey’s achievements.”
Kurt mentioned that there is a strong demand from Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates as well as European countries such as Germany, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France for health tourism in Turkey. Kurt also said that Turkey’s geographic location, Turkey’s hospitality and the beauty of the environment have made a positive contribution to developments in the health tourism. Kurt stated that patients coming from abroad were met at the airport by professional translators and they moved to hotels and the hospital via VIP car. Kurt, who stated that the patients were transported to the hospital and their hotels by VIP vehicles, added that “The tourists took a holiday by touring the historical, cultural and touristic places of the Istanbul and Turkey via the touristic program offered after hair transplantation and aesthetic operations.” She stated that “Hair transplantation operations cost too high prices in the worldwide. The tourists can undergo operations in Turkey paying in half the price that they will pay in their country to a similar operation as well as they can take a holiday with a very nice hospitality.” She said “Since the tourists undergo a hair transplantation operation in half the price that they will pay in their country to a similar operation, they are happily leaving from Turkey.”
“10 billion dollar foreign exchange inflow was provided in 2017.” Kurt indicated that there is a %31 increase in health tourism last year. Kurt also said that “It has been detected that more than 1 million people came to Turkey for health tourism in 2017. Foreign currency inflow more than 10 billion dollars in this regard has been provided to Turkey. Our goal as firms working for health tourism in Turkey is to increase this number much more by 2023.”
Kurt stated that while people were going to Europe and America for health services in the past, nowadays the people from these countries are coming to Turkey thanks to facilities with high technology established with the support of Turkish government. Kurt used the following statements that “In the past, people from many countries including Turkey preferred European countries or US to be treated. In recent years, our hospitals have begun to improve themselves and establish facilities with superior technology thanks to the positive support given to us by our government.
Turkey has begun receiving patients in all branches from the countries all over the world. Turkey has also become famous on hair transplantation in the world. Now, Turkish hair transplantation clinics and physicians carry out hair transplantation operations by private invitations in many hospitals in foreign countries. Many physicians and health care workers across the world are also coming to Turkey to get educated in hair transplantation.”