Health, Wellness and Tourism: healthy tourists, healthy business ...

HEALTH TOURISM IN IZMIR: POTENTIAL, STRATEGIES AND
SUGGESTIONS
İge Pırnar
Yaşar University, Turkey
ige.pirnar@gmail.com
Onur İçöz
Yaşar University, Turkey
Abstract
Health tourism which includes several branches such as, medical tourism, thermal tourism,
SPA and wellness, aged-tourism, handicapped-tourism,and sports tourism is one of the fastest
growing sub-sectors of the international tourism industry, since it has a constant annual
increase of 20% with a considerable demand potential. This is an original study which
attempts to make a preliminary SWOT analysis of health tourism in Izmir which is considered
as a very suitable type for the regions’ resources. In addition applicable strategies are
predicted for each of the different conditions (like. S/O, W/O, S/T and W/T strategies).
Introduction
Izmir is in excellent location for health tourism due to the unique natural and thermal
resources the area owns. The interest to Izmir’s health tourism potential is increasing
gradually by the fastest growth in private health sector, the increasing number of modern
lodging facilities, very good value-price ratio, high percentage of repeat health guests,
qualified thermal and health service, the good results from thermal treatments, friendliness,
hospitality and tolerance to different cultures.
Health Tourism in General
Health tourism’s definition stated in Erfurt-Cooper & Cooper’s textbook (2009:6) by Ross
(2001) and Tabacchi (2003) is as “any kind of travel to make yourself or a member of your
family healthier” Another resource defines the health and wellness tourism industry together
as “products and services made accessible to people travelling from their place of residence
for health reasons. In addition to conventional healthcare (medical), this definition
encompasses health & wellness, spa tourism, convalescent addiction treatment, retirement
communities, and some alternative health services” (Caribbean Export Development Agency,
2008). It is indicated that health tourism has a huge target potential including visitors with
health problems, visitors who are looking for medical /thermal or spa treatments and visitors
who are trying to preserve and promote their wellness and fitness (Ülker, 1994; Gurkan et. al,
2007:479; Erfurt-Cooper & Cooper, 2009:8). Thus it includes operations and services like;
cosmetic surgery, medical surgery, operations like dental, eye or IVF operations, physical
fitness, spa treatments, beauty care, healthy nutrition and diet issues, relaxation, rehabilitation,
meditation and mental activity (Pırnar, 2007). Thus it involves many segments and the basis
do vary from organization to organization. Eg. “health and wellness tourism market in the
Caribbean can be divided into four segments (Caribbean Export Development Agency, 2008):
(1) medical tourism;
(2) wellness and spas;
(3) nursing and elderly care; and
(4) research and diagnostic services”, and HT8 (or Health Tourism 8) refers to the
industry segments where ht8 is a concept and approach introduced in 2008 by healthCare