DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH TOURISM IN DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY

Abstract

Health tourism has grown in all over the world but the number of patients coming for health tourism to Turkey is very limited yet. Health tourism is potentially one of the strongest areas of Turkish tourism supply. This study provides a profile of the health tourism sector in Diyarbakir, Turkey. Although tourism officials discuss from different viewpoints that health tourism is one of the strengths of Diyarbakir tourism for future investment, the promotion of city’s qualified health institutions and staff, historical and natural places, and hospitality of citizens is not adequate in creating demand for health tourism. The aim of the study is to investigate the current status of health tourism in Diyarbakir and to make recommendations for future investments and promotional activities in order to increase number of medical tourists. The study is based on data delivered from tourism and health institutions for the years 2015-2018. The current paper reports that in 2016 and 2017 there is a meaningful increase in total tourist and health tourist number visiting Diyarbakir. Most of the patients received health service from private hospitals and came from Iraq. Germany, Syria and Azerbeijan are the countries which other health tourists come from. Foreign patients received healthcare service mostly from cardiology, orthopedics and traumatology clinics. Internal medicine, urology and general surgery are the following most prefferred health services by health tourists.