DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH TOURISM IN DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 3, 164 - 176, 28.12.2018

Rojan Gümüş

https://doi.org/10.31201/ijhmt.489522

Abstract

Health tourism has grown in all over the world but the number of patients coming for health tourism to Turkey is very limited yet. Health tourism is potentially one of the strongest areas of Turkish tourism supply. This study provides a profile of the health tourism sector in Diyarbakır, Turkey. Although tourism officials discuss from different viewpoints that health tourism is one of the strengths of Diyarbakır tourism for future investment, the promotion of city’s qualified health institutions and staff, historical and natural places, and hospitality of citizens is not adequate in creating demand for health tourism. The aim of the study is to investigate the current status of health tourism in Diyarbakır and to make recommendations for future investments and promotional activities in order to increase number of medical tourists. The study is based on data delivered from tourism and health institutions for the years 2015-2018. The current paper reports that in 2016 and 2017 there is a meaningful increase in total tourist and health tourist number visiting Diyarbakır. Most of the patients received health service from private hospitals and came from Iraq. Germany, Syria and Azerbeijan are the countries which other health tourists come from.Foreign patients received healthcare service mostly from cardiology, orthopedics and traumatology clinics. Internal medicine, urology and general surgery are the following most prefferred health services by health tourists.

Keywords

Health tourism, Foreign patients, Diyarbakır, Challenges, Opportunities

References

• Akat, Ö. (2000), Pazarlama Ağırlıklı Turizm İşletmeciliği, 3. Baskı, Bursa: Ekin Kitabevi.
• Amouzagar, S., Mojaradi, Z., Izanloo, A., Beikzadeh, S., Milani M., (2016). Qualitative Examination of Health Tourism and its Challenges, Int J Travel Med Glob Health. (3):88-91
• Aniza, I, Aidalina, M, Nirmalini, R, Inggit, M.C.H., Ajeng, T.E., (2009). Health Tourism in Malysia: The Strength and Weaknesses, J of Community Health, 15(1) 7-15
• Barca, M., Akdeve, E., Gedik-Balay, İ. (2013). Türkiye Sağlık Turizm Sektörünün Analizi ve Strateji Önerileri, İşletme Araştırmaları Dergisi, 5(3), 64-92.
• Boekstein, M. S. and Spencer, J. P. (2013). International Trends in Health Tourism: Implications for Thermal Spring Tourism in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. African Journal for Physical, Health Education, Recreation and Dance, 19 (2), 287-298.
• Cohen, Erik (2008), “Medical Tourism in Thailand”, AU-GSB e-journal, 1 (1).
• Delil, S. (2013) Diyarbakır Sağlık Turizmi Çalıştay Raporu, Karacadağ Kalkınma Ajansı. https://eski.karacadag.gov.tr/ df
• Dindayal, S., and Suprava, S. (2008). Opportunities and challenges of health tourism in India. “Part XI – Health, Spiritual and Heritage Tourism, Conference on Tourism in India – Challenges Ahead. IIMK.15- 17 May: 475-84.
• Edinsel, S., Adıgüzel, O. (2014). Türkiye’nin Sağlık Turizmi Açısından Son Beş Yıldaki Dünya Ülkeleri İçindeki Konumu ve Gelişmeleri, Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 4(2), 167-190.
• Garcia-Altes, A. (2005). The development of health tourism services. Annals of Tourism Research Vol. 32: 262.
• Gill, H. and Singh, N. (2011). Exploring the Factors that Affect the Choice of Destination for Medical Tourists. Journal of Service Science and Management, 4(3), 315-324. doi: 10.4236/jssm.2011.43037.
• Izadi, M., Saadat,S., Ayoubian,A.,Hashemi D.Z., Karbashi, M., Jalali,A. (2013). Health Tourism in Iran; Identifying Obstacles for Development ot this industry. International J of Travel Medicine and Global Health. 1(1), 89-94
• Izadi M, Ayoobian A, Nasiri T, Jineidi N, Fazel M, Ho-seinpourfard M.J.(2012). Situation of health tourism in Iran; oppor-tunity or threat. Iranian Journal of Military Medicine Vol 14(2): 69-75.
• Johnston, R., Crooks, V.A., Snyder, J., Kingsbury, P.(2010). What is known about the effects of medical tourism in destination and departure countries? A scoping review. Int J Equity Health. 9(24) doi:10.1186/1475-9276-9-24.
• Lunt, N., Smith, R., Exworthy, M., Green, S.T., Horsfall, D., Mannion, R. (2011). Medical tourism: treatments, markets and health system implications: A scoping review. Paris: Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, OECD.
• Lunt, N., Horsfall, D., Hanefeld, J. (2016). Medical tourism: A snapshot of evidence on treatment abroad. Maturitas. 88:37-44. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.03.001.
• Ministry of Health, (2012), Evaluation Report on Medical Tourism in Turkey 2012, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Directorate General of Health Services Department of Health Tourism, Opus Printing LLC.
• Öztürk, M., Bayat, M., (2011). Uluslararası Turizm Hareketlerinde Sağlık.Turizminin Rolü ve Kalite Çalışmalarının Önemi Bir Literatür Çalışması, KSÜ İİBF Dergisi, 135-156.
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health General Directorate Health Research ( 2017) , Health Statistics Yearbook 2016, Ministry of Health Publication No: 1084, Ankara, Retrieved 22 November, 2018, https://dosyasb.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/13160,sy2016enpdf.pdf?0
• Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism (2016), Tourism Statistics http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN-153017/tourism-statistics.html
• Ross, K., (2001). Health Tourism: An Overview, Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International Marketing Review, 2001.
• T.C.Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Alternatif Turizm Türleri, Retrieved 29 March, 2018, http://yigm.kulturturizm.gov.tr/TR,9872/alternatif-turizm-turleri.html,
• Saturk, Sağlık Turizmi Nedir? Retrieved 30 March, 2018, www.saturk.gov.tr/images/pdf/tyst/02.pdf
• Saturk, Türkiye’nin Sağlık Turizmindeki Yeri, Retrieved 30 March,2018, http://www.saturk.gov.tr/images/pdf/tyst/06.pdf
• Turner, L.G. (2011). Quality in health care and globalization of health services: accreditation and regulatory oversight of medical tourism companies. Int J Qual Health Care. 23(1):1-7. doi:10.1093/ intqhc/mzq078.