Turkey introduces legislative amendments to promote medical tourism

The Turkish Ministry of Health is preparing to carry out large-scale reforms in the field of medical tourism, aimed not only at increasing the already growing demand, but also at expanding the range of services provided, especially in the field of aesthetic procedures, which attract a significant number of foreign patients.

In 2024, Turkey admitted more than 1.5 million foreign patients, earning about $3 billion.Forecasts for 2025 point to exponential growth, with expected revenue reaching $12 billion.

Currently, the global medical tourism market is estimated at about $100 billion, and it is projected to grow to $127 billion by 2028.In line with this trend, Turkey aims to increase revenues from medical tourism to $20 billion by 2028.

According to the draft resolution published in the daily newspaper Hürriyet, mandatory accreditation will be introduced for all medical service providers and doctors working in the field of medical tourism.

Only accredited institutions and practitioners who meet strict criteria will be allowed to use the official HealthTürkiye logo in their corporate identity. All clinics and doctors will have to register on the HealthTürkiye portal.

The medical tourism sector will now include not only private healthcare providers, but also public and university hospitals, provided they meet established standards.In addition, the provision of medical services remotely will be allowed.

Turkey remains one of the leading destinations for hair transplantation, aesthetic procedures, dental and ophthalmological treatment, bariatric surgery and in vitro fertilization.

The target areas of development are geriatrics, sports medicine, wellness tourism, treatment of people with disabilities, thermotherapy and traditional medicine.

Source: Hürriyet Daily News