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

• Service provided within the insurance coverage
• Stability for long periods
• Connectivity
• Availability of different touristic attractions
• Alternative tourism products
• International standard certification
• Low cost / Price advantage
• Extraordinary and unique surgery or treatment methods.
The prices of the health tourism products do vary a lot from region to region and from one
country to another, which creates a very sold the demand for health tourism which makes a
very important differential advantage for the health tourism marketing countries. Table below
shows a range of countries price lists for different health tourism products.
Table 1 - Distribution of medical service fees according to countries($)
USA Paid by Patient USA Insurance Turkey** India Thailand Singapore
Angio $ 98,618 $ 44,268 $ 3,500 $ 11,000 $ 13,000 $ 13,000
Bypass $ 210,842 $ 94,277 $ 12,000 $ 10,000 $ 12,000 $ 20,000
Cardiac $ 274,395 $ 122,969 $ 12,000 $ 9,500 $ 10,500 $ 13,000
valve surgery
Hip surgery $ 75,399 $ 31,485 $ 13,000 $ 9,000 $ 12,000 $ 12,000
Knee surgery $ 69,991 $ 30,358 $ 15,000 $ 8,500 $ 10,000 $ 13,000
Spine $ 108,127 $ 43,576 $ 15,000 $ 5,500 $ 7,000 $ 9,000
Mastectomy $ 40,832 $ 16,833 $ 9,000 $ 7,500 $ 9,000 $ 12,400
Resource: TUSIAD- DEIK (2009). “The Economic Dimension and Other Effects of
Medical Tourism in Terms of Turkey”, TUSIAD_ DEIK Health Tourism Report, Health
Tourism Journal, Sağlık Turizmini Geliştirme Derneği, 2(8):32. (Medical Tourism: Global
Competition in Health Care”, Devon M. Herrick – National Center for Policy Analysis **:
Quoted from TAIK).
Health Tourism in Izmir
Global competitiveness researches indicate that the international tourists looking for
differentiated tourism experiences is increasing rapidly, and health tourism is one of the
fastest growing sub-segments. Taking the Izmir city in consideration, it used to be an
important destination of Turkish tourism though its' been loosing popularity to Antalya and
Istanbul It could be said that the long-term competitiveness of the Izmir’s’ tourism as a global
tourist destination may depend on product innovation and improving access to high value
niche. When the resources and potentials of the region are taken into consideration, the health
tourism seems to be the innovative product which is very suitable for the region. Thus when
Izmir was a candidate for EXPO 2015 the theme selected was “health” since this theme is
very suitable with what the city can offer.
Methodology
In this study, interview technique is preferred. The interview questions were open ended and
structured (see appendix 1) and interviews were held face to face where the replies were
written by the interviewees to the blanks spaces provided under ach specific question. the
population of the study consisted of 22 people who are experts of both Izmir city’s health
tourism potential, medical aspects and tourism industry. The data gathered through qualitative
techniques was analyzed and a SWOT analysis table was derived from answers which
involves a detailed examination of the strengths and weaknesses of the region’s potential, and