Türkiye aims to become "the centre of healing in the world” and hit US$20 billion in revenue from health tourism by 2028, according to the country’s International Health Services (USHAŞ).
Revenue from health tourism worldwide is around $100 billion at the moment, and by 2028, that’s projected to surge up to $127 billion.
International financial consultant Nomad Capitalist says procedures that could cost six figures in the U.S. or Europe often cost as little as four figures in places like Türkiye.
“At the same time, the best hospitals in these medical tourist hot spots have highly-trained, English-speaking doctors, just like you’d find at home, sometimes even better,” the bespoke finance advisor said.
The company is setting up agencies in places like Türkiye to promote less expensive healthcare costs to potential foreign visitors from developed countries where healthcare prices have exploded.
Ranking high
Nomad Capitalist has Türkiye at number five in its top 10 destinations for medical treatment, only beaten by India, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
“World-class health treatment centres, spas, dentists, and cosmetic surgeons are readily available there,” the company said about the country in its blog.
“The country is particularly well-known for its eye health specialists who operate in a sector where the most expensive ocular procedure costs around US$3,000 - a significant mark-down on most Western costs.”
USHAŞ general manager Behlül Ünver said that Türkiye is a country with high health tourism potential and that visionary projects for the future have been implemented.
“Türkiye is the destination for hair transplants and we are among the top 10 countries in organ transplantation. Turkish doctors are capable of performing all aesthetic surgeries. Eye diseases and dental treatments are also in demand in Türkiye,” he told Anadolu Agency.
“We do not see health tourism only as medical tourism; we can also evaluate thermal tourism, tourism for the disabled, third-age tourism and healthy living practices,” Ünver said.
"When we look at the data from 2023, Türkiye earned $3.1 billion from health tourism, and approximately 1.65 million people came to Türkiye for health care. The 2024 figures are also in line with this.”