"Health Tourism" is a service that contributes to the diversification of the tourism sector and the spread of tourism to 12 months, has commercial value, is a very important service, has an important place in the economy of countries providing health tourism services, and creates employment.
Let's take a look at the general questions you need to know about medical tourism;
1. What is Health Tourism?
Health tourism; is the visit of people to a country other than the country they live in to receive treatment, rehabilitation and health services related to their health. Health tourists are called "health tourists".
2. What are the Types of Health Tourism?
All kinds of tourism activities that provide services for a healthy life can be considered as health tourism, but health tourism types are generally divided into three categories;
Medical (medical) tourism: It is the type of tourism that is undertaken to find inadequate health care in its own country or to have treatment or surgery in a foreign hospital.
Thermal Tourism: In spa facilities that have been serving the regions known for many years where thermal waters are healing,
It is a type of tourism for bodily well-being and spiritual rest, healing and rest.
Tourism for the disabled elderly: Tourism for the disabled elderly; long-term participation in social activities; sightseeing tours and occupational therapy for the elderly; aged care services; rehabilitation services in clinical hotels; It includes special care and sightseeing tours for people.
disabled. Service locations are usually clinical hotels, recreational areas, resorts and nursing homes.
3. For What Purposes Is Health Tourism Used?
Patients may travel for treatment purposes for different reasons. Medical issues such as dental, eye, aesthetics, cardiovascular and joint prostheses, infertility treatment and in vitro fertilization come to the fore in health tourism.
In addition, the number of patients who go to health tourism for simple examinations or for disease control and examination is high.
We can list the general reasons why patients travel for health as follows:
- Lack or lack of high-tech healthcare and professional human resources in the country, long waiting time
- In fact, medical services are expensive in their own country and the same services can be obtained more economically in other countries.
- Desire for quality healthcare
- For some reason, he doesn't want his surgery to be known in his own country.
- Problems with health insurance
- Chronic patients, the elderly and the disabled want to be treated in different environments,
- The desire of substance users and different addicts to be in a different or more suitable environment, I want to go on vacation with therapy
- Desire to benefit from the climatic and geographical features of a country different from one's own (e.g. to see forests, plateaus, countries with different histories and cultures)
- Eager to meet spas in countries with spa facilities
- Health tourism is very diverse and can have many reasons. The main reason for this is that patients want to deal with their health problems in different countries with better facilities or to receive the same services more economically.
4. What are the Preferences of Countries in Health Tourism?
The Most Preferred Countries in Wellness Tourism: United States, India, Cuba, Costa Rica, Thailand, Singapore, Colombia, Malaysia, Turkey, Mexico, Germany and South Korea. Due to the high cost of treatment,
South and Central American countries generally serve U.S. citizens seeking treatment options outside of the United States. Patients seeking better medical care from emergency settings like Indonesia and the Philippines come to Malaysia. There is a movement in European countries.
For example, 60% of the patients coming to Belgium from abroad are Dutch.
Well, let's see what are the characteristics of these countries that attract healthy tourists;
- The quality of medical care and technical equipment in Germany, the United States, South Korea and other countries is very good.
- Spa tourism in Hungary, elderly tourism in Spain and medical tourism in India,
- This is because of the policies of these countries that valued tourism and health tourism in the past.
- Since the main source of income in countries such as Singapore, Thailand, Cyprus, Costa Rica is tourism.
- Jordan, India, Malaysia, Brazil, Malta; due to foreign capital inflow and the advantage of training doctors abroad
- Due to its geographical and political advantages, Jordan, Iran, Malaysia, Brazil and other countries.
On the other hand, countries such as Turkey, Malaysia and Israel have many advantages; These countries are among the reasons why health tourists prefer their geographical location, being tourist countries, using advanced health technology, providing quality health services. economical prices.
People are no longer working for their own health, not only about health opportunities and costs in their own country, but also by researching and comparing treatments and costs in other countries. Health sector problems of conscious patients, overcrowding in hospitals, long waiting times, high treatment costs.
Health tourism has become a sector in itself because it has problems such as the quality of the services received and access to health services from other countries. . From plastic surgery to in vitro fertilization, from hair transplantation to dental treatment, all health-related procedures, accommodation sector, hospitals, thermal facilities, spa and health treatment centers, rehabilitation centers serve health tourism.
5. What are the Benefits of Health Tourism for Countries?
It helps the continuation of tourism in countries with health tourism for 12 months of the year.
In countries that attract tourists with health tourism, natural assets (such as forests, healing waters, mountains) that generally do not have economic value but are beneficial to health gain the quality of economic products and contribute to the income of the region. Tourist spending increases income. It contributes positively to the image of countries in the world.
Turkey's geographical location, health institutions, trained manpower, spas and natural beauties are ideal for health tourism. Turkey is one of the 10 most popular countries in the world with its rich history and culture and its competence in the field of health.