THE USE OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS IN HEALTH TOURISM IN TURKEY

The original article was published on July 27, 2022. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijhmt/article/1149672

Erratum Note

sorumlu yazar değiştirilmiştir, teknik hata düzeltilmiştir.

Abstract

Aim: In recent years, the digital communication for health tourism has gained undeniable importance in Turkey and all over the world. In tourism sector, the correct and effective use of digital tools that emerged with the advancement of technology both provides benefits for institutions and plays an effective role in the preferences and decisions of consumers. In this study, it was aimed to examine the corporate websites and social media accounts of 10 private hospitals operating in the region of Konya in Turkey, and to reach both domestic and international health tourists. Content analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the hospitals use social media tools effectively. In this context, general information about the hospital, applications, trust, general risks were gathered, as well as financial information and visuals on the website. Regarding social media accounts, the most shared contents on Instagram, retweeted on Twitter and liked on Facebook accounts were included. According to the results of the Aim: In recent years, the digital communication for health tourism has gained undeniable importance in Turkey and all over the world. In tourism sector, the correct and effective use of digital tools that emerged with the advancement of technology both provides benefits for institutions and plays an effective role in the preferences and decisions of consumers. In this study, it was aimed to examine the corporate websites and social media accounts of 10 private hospitals operating in the region of Konya in Turkey, and to reach both domestic and international health tourists. Content analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the hospitals use social media tools effectively. In this context, general information about the hospital, applications, trust, general risks were gathered, as well as financial information and visuals on the website. Regarding social media accounts, the most shared contents on Instagram, retweeted on Twitter and liked on Facebook accounts were included. According to the results of the analysis, it was determined that digital communication channels were used to share information;however, they interaction with consumers was inadequate.

Keywords

• digital communication
• health communication
• health tourism

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