Building a Brand in Health Tourism: Much More Than Promotion

Last week, we discussed trust in health tourism and concluded with these words:

“The winners in the future of health tourism will be countries where international patients can confidently say, ‘I trust this country,’ rather than simply those with the largest hospitals.”

What, then, is the next step once trust has been established?

The answer is clear:

Building a brand.

Yet building a brand in health tourism is often misunderstood.

The word “brand” first brings to mind advertising campaigns, social media activity, trade fairs or promotional films. These are only its visible face. Advertising makes you visible; what protects your brand value is the service quality you deliver consistently over the years.

A true brand means people choose you without hesitation, as well as recognising you. To become a brand in health tourism, you must first build trust. Promotion without trust may attract short-term interest, but cannot secure lasting success. We can see this particularly clearly in hair transplantation. Türkiye succeeded in becoming one of the world’s leading destinations in this field over many years. However, increasing competition, differences in quality and uncontrolled growth have made protecting that strong brand perception more important than ever.

Our work in different countries over the years has shown me an important truth.

Not every part of the world views a brand in the same way.

In the United States, a brand is assessed through institutional strength, legal safeguards, academic achievement and a reputation built over many years.

In Europe, it is built on quality standards, accreditation, scientific output, patient experience and transparency.

In the Turkic states, the Middle East and many African countries, it gains strength through trust, relationship management, sincerity and keeping promises.

There is no single model of brand building.

Every region has different expectations.

Success in health tourism therefore requires good healthcare and an accurate understanding of the target market’s culture, expectations and decision-making dynamics.

One of Türkiye’s greatest advantages is its unique geographical position alongside its strong healthcare infrastructure. Like a diamond carefully set by a master jeweller, our country sits at the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa, giving it a natural advantage as a health tourism hub. Yet good service alone is no longer sufficient in international competition. We must turn it into a strong national brand. A strong national brand supports strong institutions, which in turn support strong physician brands. It therefore directly enhances the brand value of healthcare providers.

As the national brand grows stronger, so does the brand value of healthcare institutions.

A true health tourism brand is created through successful treatment and the experience a patient has throughout the entire journey.

Every point of contact is part of the brand: the first telephone call, the airport welcome, treatment, discharge and follow-up after the patient returns home.

A brand is therefore not a logo.

Nor is it an advertisement.

Nor a slogan.

A brand means fulfilling the promise completely, every time.

Global health tourism is entering a new era in which competition on price is giving way to competition on value.

The winners will be countries that offer the greatest trust, the strongest experience and the most sustainable quality, rather than simply the lowest price.

This should be Türkiye’s objective.

Building a health tourism brand means earning a lasting place in people’s minds and hearts, rather than merely increasing promotion.

And we should remember:

A brand is a building’s foundation, not its roof. No brand can stand for many years without a solid foundation.

In our next article, we will consider whether competition in health tourism is really shaped by price or by value.

The New Paradigm of Health Tourism – Part 4

Behlül Ünver President, World Health Tourism Platform