The medical tourism sector in Turkey is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period.
The Turkish economy has gathered revenue from medical tourism owing to government backing and cooperation between the tourism and healthcare sectors. Turkey is at the forefront of high-quality and cutting-edge healthcare thanks to investments in the medical tourism sector. Medical tourism is advantageous to Turkish citizens and is anticipated to boost the country's economy.
The Turkey medical tourism market is expected to show positive growth owing to the favorable program implemented by the Turkey government to improve healthcare services and infrastructure. The “Healthcare Transformation Program” was implemented by the government in 2023 and is still in use, acting as the backbone of transforming Turkey’s hospitals and other medical centers. The loan granted by international organizations such as the World Bank has further propelled the hospital infrastructure development in the country, thereby enabling it to attain world standards in the medical treatment field.
The economic outlook for Turkey is expected to show an upward trend owing to the various government investment inflows, collaborations with international organizations, and initiatives taken by the government to improve its medical & healthcare infrastructure.
According to the 2020 Health Expenditure Report issued by the Turkish Statistical Institute, the country’s healthcare expenditure saw a 24% increase in 2020 in comparison to 2019. Furthermore, according to the International Trade Administration, the investment by the Turkish government in local hospitals' development stood at US$968 million, which represented an increase of 4.7% over 2019’s investment
The country is also witnessing the collaboration of companies relating to hospital construction. For instance, in September 2020, Italy-based construction company Astaldi Group entered into a US$1.3 billion deal with Turkey’s Turkerler for the construction of a mega-hospital in Ankara, Turkey, which will be equipped with 3,600 beds.
The hospitals in Turkey have JCI (Joint Commission International) accreditation, which also defines the level the medical treatment provided by the country’s hospitals. According to the Turkish Ministry of Health, the country has 30 hospitals that hold JCI accreditation. The cost-effective treatment in Turkey makes it an appropriate destination for medical treatment in comparison to other major countries such as the United States. According to the statement given by the Minister of Trade, in June 2022, Turkey’s revenue from health tourism is expected to increase up to US$5 billion in the short term. As per the Turkish Ministry of Health data, in 2021, 6,42,444 people from abroad traveled to Turkey for medical treatment, showing a 65.5% increase in comparison to 2020. Furthermore, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, in 2021, the revenue was estimated to reach US$1 billion, whereas in the first quarter of 2022, the revenue from healthcare services provided to medical tourists stood at US$332 million, representing a significant increase of 68% in comparison to Q1 of 2021.
Various rules and regulations have been laid by the Turkish government for the countries for applying for a medical tourist visa. For instance, as per the guidelines by the Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the citizens of other countries must have valid residency or visa permits issued from one of the countries namely, the United States, Ireland, United Kingdom or Schengen zone countries. Also, citizens except the ones belonging to Pakistan, India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan must travel via airlines that have established an agreement with the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Turkish government has established incentives to boost health tourism in the country. The Communique No. 2015/8 “Supporting the Trade in Foreign Exchange Earning Services” explains the incentives provided by the Turkish government for healthcare tourism.
The development of the country's healthcare strategy is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, which is also the biggest supplier of medical services. As per ITA:
According to Article 56 of the Constitution, healthcare facilities are regarded as public services and are provided by the government either directly or indirectly. Due to the nation's expanding population and rising older population as a result of longer life expectancies, the nation has a dynamic demographic composition.
This has led to new healthcare regulations in the country. For instance, the Remote Healthcare Services Regulation was approved by Turkey in February 2022. Due to the lack of law in this domain before the new regulation, it was necessary to interpret the supporting laws to provide unambiguous answers to several queries. As most of the laws governing health issues were passed many years ago, it was challenging to evaluate them correctly based on the government's intentions. While some healthcare organizations had already begun operating remotely after the COVID-19 pandemic, the absence of a regulatory framework, relevant legislation, and established legal precedents posed a significant risk to both those service providers and the affiliated doctors.
4.5% of Turkey's GDP is spent on healthcare. Furthermore, since 2009, there haven't been any significant regulatory modifications that have had an impact on the healthcare financials, showing a steady reimbursement system but also the need for more revisions. However, a rise in SUT prices is anticipated either through a procedure-based price improvement or holistic restructuring of the payments system. The government has taken measures to slightly achieve sustainability through small alterations to the pricing scheme.
The aging population and resulting changes in chronic diseases will cause healthcare demand to shift. As shown in the adjacent figure, in Turkey, older and higher-risk age ranges are expanding faster than other age groups, predicting an anticipated rise in healthcare costs. Therefore, there is a need for condition management that is intricate and comprehensive. Consequently, the Turkish Medical and Medical Devices Authority released the Turkish Regulation on Licensing of Medicinal Products for Human Use, which establishes the prerequisites for the efficiency, efficacy, and secure release of medicinal goods for human use in December 2021.
The short-term outlook is anticipated to experience a CAGR of 13.98%, reaching TL 21.653 billion by 2025 from TL 11.256 billion in 2020.
In recent years, the medical tourism sector in Turkey has grown significantly. The Turkish economy has gathered revenue from medical tourism owing to government backing and cooperation between the tourism and healthcare sectors. Turkey is at the forefront of high-quality and cutting-edge healthcare thanks to investments in the medical tourism sector. Medical tourism is advantageous to Turkish citizens and is anticipated to boost the country's economy.
The number of medical tourists, however, fell significantly from 662,000 to 388,000 as a result of the pandemic. The predicted recovery in 2021 and 2022, following the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Turkish government's efforts, such as the establishment of a subsidiary called International Health Services Corporation (USHA) by the MoH, are the factors driving the short-term growth.