The Tourism Sector in Country Branding: An Assessment on Health Tourism in Turkey

Abstract

Investments made and resources owned in the field of health in Turkey have increased the interest in health tourism, which is one of the types of tourism with the highest added value. In consequence of factors such as globalization, international collaborations, the expansion of people’s travel opportunities, the increase in the elderly population, the rising awareness of people who want to live healthy and long, and the fact that people can have instant information about new treatment methods thanks to the effect of digitization, health tourism is of critical importance for countries to promote themselves and raise their reputations. Health tourism, which can be served throughout the year regardless of a season, differs from other types of tourism both in this respect and due to the diversity of its target audience. This study aims to examine the place of health tourism in general country promotion strategies by discussing the promotional activities in health tourism at the national and international levels. This study, which is based on literature analysis, aims to determine the potential of the country, to discuss different promotion strategies and methods that can be created in accordance with the target audiences, and to deal with communication activities. In the light of the researches, if Turkey can manage its health tourism well, it has the potential to be increasingly preferred over the years by international patients, especially in some branches (plastic surgery, ophthalmology, dentistry, gynecology, otolaryngology, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation, etc.), due to its thermal resources, trained manpower, and treatment methods adapted to the latest technologies. Travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the changing priorities of medical tourists, and the reports on the health policies of countries have directly affected the accelerating health tourism. In this context, it is predicted that countries that manage this crisis well will increase their reputation and credibility in health tourism. It is believed that assessing medical tourism within the country branding and presenting it with current examples will benefit all stakeholders in the field. Additionally, it is believed that the study will be a guide for marketing professionals, public relations specialists, advertisers, and researchers who will carry out promotional activities in this field.