Turkey Medical Tourism Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

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 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 has acted as the backbone of transforming Turkey’s hospitals and other medical centers. The loan granted by international organizations such as 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, in 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 short term. As per the Turkish Ministry of Health data, in 2021, 6,42,444 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 which showed a significant increase of 68% in comparison to Q1 of 2021.