European countries remain the priority direction of the influx of foreign citizens to health tourism facilities in Turkey. The head of the Turkish Health Tourism Association (TÜSATDER), Dr. Servet Terziler, informed the Anadolu agency about this.
“Most European countries are located in close proximity to Turkey, just 1.5-2.5 hours of flight. People from all continents live in Europe. Therefore, if we become a brand in Europe, we will become one of the recognized global centers of medical tourism, ”said Terziler.
According to him, Turkey is among the leaders in medical tourism, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the sector has been going through a painful period for the second year.
“The consequences of the pandemic had a negative impact on the Turkish health sector, which reached $ 3 billion in 2019. Medical tourism officials are disappointed that many European countries, including Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom, are wary of opening their borders due to various strains of coronavirus. The unstable situation with the virus has affected all spheres of tourism, ”said the head of TÜSATDER.
Terziler recalled that 1.4 million people visited medical tourism facilities in Turkey in 2019, while last year this figure decreased by 60 percent.
“The indicators of the first half of this year also could not surpass the statistics of 2019. The second half of the year is critical for the entire sector. If we can reduce losses, then it will be a great success. We must focus on European countries, ”added the head of the Association.