Turkey’s Health Tourism Showing Signs of Slowdown

While shopping tourism, which had been declining in previous years, is making a comeback, health tourism — once a fast-growing sector — is showing signs of slowdown both in terms of visitor numbers and overall spending.

Turkey saw a modest increase in tourist arrivals in the first half of 2024. According to official statistics, the number of foreign visitors rose by 2% compared to the same period last year, reaching 25.5 million. Although this growth is relatively limited, it’s notable amidst global uncertainties.

Shopping Tourism Rebounds

Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) shows that shopping-oriented travel is picking up again, helped in large part by the stabilization of inflation and rising exchange rates. These factors have boosted the purchasing power of foreign tourists, making Turkey once again an attractive destination for shopping. As a result, the number of tourists coming specifically for shopping increased by 7% year-on-year during January–June, reaching 1.85 million. Their share of total tourists also inched up from 5.4% to 5.6%.

This recovery is reflected in retail spending figures. Tourist expenditures on clothing, shoes, and souvenirs rose sharply, climbing by $183 million to a total of $3.74 billion. The yeme-içme (food and beverage) sector also benefited from this trend. With currency movements and a slowdown in inflation, restaurants and cafes became more accessible, and this translated into higher spending.

In fact, total tourism revenue grew by 7% in the first half of 2025 to reach $25.4 billion. Food and beverage spending alone rose 15%, hitting $5.43 billion — a $689 million increase compared to the previous year. The share of food-related spending in total tourism revenue rose from 20% to 21.35%. This shift shows that Turkey is not just a destination for sights, but also for flavors — a clear sign that gastronomy tourism is making a strong comeback.

Health Tourism Faces a Setback

In contrast, health tourism — a field where Turkey had positioned itself as a global leader — is facing challenges. Once famous worldwide for hair transplants, cosmetic surgery, and gastric sleeve procedures, Turkey saw a consistent rise in medical tourists in recent years. Visitor numbers grew from 243,000 in 2021 to 663,000 in 2022, and 788,000 in 2023. In the first half of 2024 alone, that number had climbed to 801,000.

However, things took a turn this year. Scandals “allegedly” involving medical malpractice and even patient deaths triggered a decline in trust. As a result, the number of tourists visiting for health reasons dropped significantly by 68,000 in the first half of 2025, bringing the figure down to 733,000.

This decline wasn’t just in foot traffic. Economic contributions from health tourism also took a hit. Revenue from this sector fell by $229 million, slipping from $1.62 billion to $1.39 billion. This downturn suggests that reputation and trust are just as important as competitive pricing in the world of medical tourism.

What This Means Moving Forward

While Turkey continues to draw millions of visitors and shows strength in shopping and gastronomy tourism, the challenges in health tourism should not be underestimated. Rebuilding confidence, improving regulation, and ensuring medical transparency will be key steps if Turkey wants to reclaim its upward momentum in the health tourism sector.

In the meantime, tourists are still flocking to experience what Turkey has to offer — not just to see, but to shop, eat, and explore.

Source: ekonomim.com/saglik/saglik-turizmi-alarm-veriyor-haberi-835125