Beyond Appearances in Health Tourism: Strategy Makes the Difference
A quiet but important transformation is taking place in health tourism. While high-volume areas such as hair transplantation are slowing, TÜİK’s first-quarter 2026 figures show an 18.4 per cent increase in health expenditure.
For years, the sector relied on low costs, high volumes and rapid operations. Trust, branding, patient experience and sustainable quality are now becoming more decisive. Tourism revenue rose 4.2 per cent, spending per person 2.4 per cent and health expenditure 18.4 per cent.
My assessment is that health tourism increasingly requires strategy. Price-led growth is weakening while value-led growth gains strength.
Behlül ÜNVER – President, World Health Tourism Platform
What the first-quarter figures show
Recent field observations suggest a slowdown in patient numbers in high-volume areas, particularly hair transplantation. Yet revenue and the broader patient profile show growth.
According to the figures discussed here, tourism revenue reached USD 9.89 billion, up 4.2 per cent. Visitor numbers reached 9.25 million, up 1.5 per cent. Spending per person rose 2.4 per cent to USD 1,047, while health expenditure increased 18.4 per cent.
This apparently contradictory picture indicates growth through quality rather than volume alone. The longstanding low-cost, high-volume model is reaching its limits.
What has changed?
Global competition has intensified, alternative countries have entered aggressively, patients are more informed and selective, and digital trust and reputation matter more. Patients purchase a reliable system alongside a procedure.
A decline in highly price-sensitive areas alongside growth in complex, higher-value services is therefore meaningful. The sector is evolving.
Patient numbers alone do not establish success. Reaching the right segments, building a brand and sustaining trust and quality are essential. The figures support the approach we have long advocated.
Who will succeed?
My observation is that those building systems, international brands, complete patient experiences and sound new-market strategies will succeed. Africa, Central Asia and the Turkic republics stand out as strategic growth areas.
If the sector remains focused solely on price, volume and short-term gains, Türkiye could lose its advantage. With the right strategy, it can become a global healthcare hub.
This transformation offers a major opportunity to those who understand it.
9 May 2026 Behlül ÜNVER President, World Health Tourism Platform
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