Tel: 0 (312) 231 26 65
Faks: 0 (312) 231 67 59
e-post:info@saglikturizmibulteni.org
Health Tourism Improve Association

Health tourism that is a growing trend in the world began taking due respect. In the 1st International Health Tourism Congress there were 53 foreign attendants (comprised of deputy ministers, dignitaries, investors and sector representatives) from 25 different countries (Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Macedonia, Malta, Moldavia, NCTR, Syria, Sweden, UK, USA and Uzbekistan) and 300 domestic attendants. The Health Minister Prof. Dr. Recep AKDA/, the Undersecretary of Culture and Tourism Ministry ‹smet YILMAZ, the Deputy Undersecretary of the Health Ministry Prof. Dr. Nihat TOSUN, the Head of Health and Social Affairs Commission of Turkish Grand National Assembly Prof. Dr. Cevdet ERDÖL, the Head of Public Works, Reconstruction, Transportation and Tourism Commission of Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa DEMiR, Istanbul PM charged with AK Party Foreign Affairs

Egemen Ba€›?, Antalya PM Abdurrahman ARICI, the Governor of Antalya Alaattin YÜKSEL, the Head of TURSAB Ba?aran ULUSOY and a lot of high level officials and sector representatives were also available. Many companies that opened stands in the congress initialized business contacts with the companies abroad. Business deals with Syria and Jordan with regards to hospital automation and software field were done. It was well understood by the sector that where and why the patients in USA and EU went abroad in medical tourism. Business meetings were held and business deals were carried out related with bringing patients from USA and UK. The information about medical tourism practices in the world was obtained. With the worldwide known medical tourism authorities it was planned to organize training seminars and workshops in Turkey within the year. Meetings were held for thermal investments in Turkey. Particularly it was focused on building elderly care resorts and the necessity for training qualified staff for elderly and handicapped care. Also the necessity for passing an immediate law to employ foreign doctors in order to improve health tourism and provide hospital investments abroad was emphasized. It was stressed that our country was a country of oppurtunities for the investors of Arab and Gulf Countries in thermal field. It was also realised that Middle Asia was an untouched region in terms of health tourism. The Asssociation of Improving Health Tourism has achieved great success from the point of our country health tourism sector. The requests that asked annual and more extensive repeats of the congress by the participants and lecturers were conveyed to the association authorities. Our country target should be got %10 of USD 100 billion world turnover in health tourism field. Employment for our unemployed youth who worked for 4 months and were jobless for the rest, 8 months and 12 months full business of the tourism establishments that were inactive for the most of the year are quite important aspects. For that reason the state should give support and subsidy to tourism sector. In summary one of the most important ways of increasing tourism income is to attach great importance to health tourism issue, to suportt it and to bring it to a national policy.

  HEALTH TOURİSM JOURNAL