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International Health Tourism: A Strategic Comparison of Türkiye and Germany

Year 2025, Issue: 25, 269 - 284, 29.04.2025
https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1573285

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the competitive dynamics of health tourism in Türkiye and Germany by utilizing current data. The primary goal is to identify the strategic advantages and challenges each country faces within the health tourism sector.
Method: The research employs a comparative approach, analyzing quantitative data related to healthcare costs, treatment options, service quality, patient safety, and satisfaction levels in both Türkiye and Germany. Secondary data sources, such as industry reports and healthcare statistics, form the foundation of this analysis.
Results: The study reveals that Türkiye emerges as an attractive destination due to its cost advantages, with healthcare services being 50-70% lower compared to Germany, alongside a wide variety of treatment options. Its geographical position and accessibility further enhance its appeal to health tourists. In contrast, Germany is recognized for its high-quality healthcare services, accredited hospitals, and specialized professionals, ensuring patient safety and treatment excellence. Both countries report high patient satisfaction rates; however, Türkiye faces certain service-related challenges that can impact the patient experience negatively.
Conclusion: This research presents a clear overview of the strategic positions and potential growth areas of both Türkiye and Germany in health tourism. It serves as a valuable reference for future development strategies aimed at strengthening their competitive standings in the international health tourism market.

Ethical Statement

All data used in this article has been obtained from publicly available sources and has been evaluated in accordance with ethical principles. During the research process, no personal information or sensitive patient data has been used, ensuring full compliance with privacy regulations. The study has been conducted following relevant national and international ethical standards. The statistics and analyses presented in the article reflect general trends and comparisons within the medical tourism sector and do not include any personal or confidential health information. The author declares no conflict of interest or commercial intent in conducting this study.

References

  • 1. Dang HS, Nguyen TMT, Wang CN, Day JD, Dang TMH. Grey System Theory in the study of medical tourism industry and its economic impact. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(3):961.
  • 2. Almodawer Y, Alam SS, Sinniah S, Ali MH. Health tourism in Malaysia: Understanding the drivers of satisfaction and revisit intention. Tourism Recreation Research. 2024;1–22.
  • 3. Yılmaz V, Güneren E. Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. 2023;8(2):141-157. doi: 10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141
  • 4. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık Turizmi İstatistikleri: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published 2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 5. Joint Commission International. Accredited Organizations Directory. Joint Commission International. 2023. https://www.jointcommissioninternational.org. Published 2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 6. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health Tourism Reports: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany. https://www.destatis.de. Published: 01.2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 7. World Data Bank. Health indicators 2024. World Data Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=DE. Published: 01.2024. Accessed: 17.10.2024.
  • 8. OECD. Health at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators. OECD www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 20.10.2024.
  • 9. Crooks VA, Labonté R, Ceron A, Johnston R, Snyder J, Snyder M. Medical tourism will obligate physicians to elevate their level so that they can compete: A qualitative exploration of the anticipated impacts of inbound medical tourism on health human resources in Guatemala. Hum Resour Health. 2019;17(1):53.
  • 10. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık turizmi hasta memnuniyeti raporu: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 20.10.2024.
  • 11. Shabankareh M, Nazarian A, Golestaneh MH, Dalouchi F. Health tourism and government supports. International Journal of Emerging Markets. 2023;20(4):1440-1464
  • 12. Germany Travel. "Facts and Figures 2022." Germany Travel. https://www.germany.travel/media/pdf_5/pdf/dzt_marktforschung/2023_5/ZahlenDatenFakten_2022barrierefrei2023en.pdf. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 13. Şahin D. JCI Akreditasyonu ile Türkiye’de sağlık hizmetlerinin kalite ve akreditasyonuyla ilgili kuruluşların çalışmalarına ilişkin araştırma. SKAD. 2020;3(1):16-26.
  • 14. İştar E. Health tourism in Turkey: A study on newspapers. Uluslararası Sağlık Yönetimi ve Stratejileri Araştırma Dergisi. 2016;1(3):26-35.
  • 15. Omay EG, Cengiz E. Health tourism in Turkey: Opportunities and threats. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 2013;4(10):424-431. doi: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n10p424.
  • 16. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı Sağlık Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü. Sağlık Kuruluşları Akreditasyon Raporu: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://shgmkalitedb.saglik.gov.tr/TR-105987/saglikta-performans-ve-kalite-dergisi-21-cilt-3-sayisi-yayinlanmistir.html. Published: 10.2024. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 17. Akgün S. Medical tourism in Turkey: Past, present, and future. The European Journal of Public Health. 2015;25(3):167-014. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckv167.014.
  • 18. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Medical tourism market report in Germany: 2022. Destatis. www.destatis.de Published: 10.2024. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 19. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health Tourism Reports: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany. https://www.destatis.de. Published: 10.2023. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 20. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK). Turizm İstatistikleri. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turizm-Istatistikleri-II.-Ceyrek:-Nisan-Haziran,-2024-53658. Published July 2024. Accessed August 14, 2024.
  • 21. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health tourism satisfaction surveys: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). https://www.destatis.de. Published October 2023. Accessed August 14, 2024.
  • 22. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık Turizmi İstatistikleri: 2018-2022. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published October 2023. Accessed August 17, 2024.
  • 23. USHAŞ. Sağlık Turizm Verileri. USHAŞ. https://www.ushas.com.tr/saglik-turizmi-verileri/. Published October 2023. Accessed August 17, 2024.
  • 24. Eryer A. Sağlık turizminin ekonomik boyutu: Türkiye üzerine bir değerlendirme. Journal of Economics and Research. 2024;5(1):63-80. doi: 10.53280/jer.1415610.
  • 25. Heinz T, Eidmann A, Jakuscheit A, Laux T, Rudert M, Stratos I. Demographics and trends for inbound medical tourism in Germany for orthopedic patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(2):1209.
  • 26. Yılmaz FK, Ugur TN, Rese M. A comparative study of the Turkish and German health care systems with regard to quality management in psychiatric hospitals. International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (IJMESS). 2019;8(3):223-241.
  • 27. Yılmaz S, Sarıaydın İ, Sönal T. Türkiye’nin sağlık turizmi fırsatları: İngiltere örneği. Avrasya Sosyal ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2020;7(1):74-85.
  • 28. Arrive Turkey. Visa requirements for medical tourism in Turkey. Arrive Turkey. https://arriveturkey.com/health-tourism/visa-requirements-for-medical-tourism-in-turkey/ Published 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 29. Germany Visa. Germany visa for the purpose of medical treatment. Germany Visa. https://www.germany-visa.org/. Published 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 30. OECD. Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance. Published November 2021. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 31. Statista Research Department. Medical tourism in Germany: Market growth and forecast 2018-2022. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com. Published 2023. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 32. WHO. Global health and healthcare trends in medical tourism: European countries including Germany. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int. Published 2020. Accessed August 19, 2024.
  • 33. TÜİK Turizm İstatistikleri. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turizm-Istatistikleri-I.-Ceyrek:-Ocak-Mart,-2024-53657. Published April 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024.
  • 34. World Data Bank. Population growth (annual %) - Germany. World Data Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=DE Published April 2022. Accessed October 17, 2024.
  • 35. OECD. Health at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-europe-2022_507433b0-en.html. Published December 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 36. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health tourism satisfaction surveys: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany . https://www.destatis.de/EN/Home/_node.html. Published: 12.2023. Accessed: 21.02.2024

Uluslararası Sağlık Turizmi: Türkiye ve Almanya'nın Stratejik Karşılaştırması

Year 2025, Issue: 25, 269 - 284, 29.04.2025
https://doi.org/10.38079/igusabder.1573285

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışma, Türkiye ve Almanya'daki sağlık turizminin rekabetçi dinamiklerini güncel veriler kullanarak derinlemesine analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Temel hedef, her iki ülkenin sağlık turizmi sektöründeki stratejik avantajlarını ve karşılaştıkları zorlukları belirlemektir.
Yöntem: Araştırma, Türkiye ve Almanya'daki sağlık hizmetleri maliyetleri, tedavi seçenekleri, hizmet kalitesi, hasta güvenliği ve memnuniyet seviyeleri ile ilgili niceliksel verileri analiz eden karşılaştırmalı bir yaklaşım benimsemektedir. Bu analiz, sektör raporları ve sağlık istatistikleri gibi ikincil veri kaynaklarına dayanmaktadır.
Bulgular: Çalışma, Türkiye'nin maliyet avantajlarıyla dikkat çeken bir destinasyon olarak öne çıktığını ortaya koymaktadır; Türkiye'nin sağlık hizmetleri Almanya'ya kıyasla %50-70 daha düşük maliyetlerle sunulmakta ve çok çeşitli tedavi seçenekleri sunulmaktadır. Coğrafi konumu ve erişilebilirliği de sağlık turistleri için cazibesini artırmaktadır. Öte yandan, Almanya yüksek kaliteli sağlık hizmetleri, akredite hastaneler ve uzmanlaşmış profesyonelleri ile hasta güvenliği ve tedavi mükemmeliyetini garanti etmektedir. Her iki ülke de yüksek hasta memnuniyeti oranlarına sahipken, Türkiye'nin bazı hizmetle ilgili zorlukları, hasta deneyimini olumsuz yönde etkileyebilmektedir.
Sonuç: Bu araştırma, Türkiye ve Almanya'nın sağlık turizmindeki stratejik konumları ve potansiyel büyüme alanları hakkında net bir genel bakış sunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, her iki ülkenin uluslararası sağlık turizmi pazarındaki rekabetçi konumlarını güçlendirmeye yönelik gelecekteki gelişim stratejileri için değerli bir referans sağlamaktadır.

References

  • 1. Dang HS, Nguyen TMT, Wang CN, Day JD, Dang TMH. Grey System Theory in the study of medical tourism industry and its economic impact. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020;17(3):961.
  • 2. Almodawer Y, Alam SS, Sinniah S, Ali MH. Health tourism in Malaysia: Understanding the drivers of satisfaction and revisit intention. Tourism Recreation Research. 2024;1–22.
  • 3. Yılmaz V, Güneren E. Determining destination competitiveness in medical tourism: A study based on AHP-QFD framework. Journal of Multidisciplinary Academic Tourism. 2023;8(2):141-157. doi: 10.31822/jomat.2023-8-2-141
  • 4. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık Turizmi İstatistikleri: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published 2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 5. Joint Commission International. Accredited Organizations Directory. Joint Commission International. 2023. https://www.jointcommissioninternational.org. Published 2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 6. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health Tourism Reports: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany. https://www.destatis.de. Published: 01.2024. Accessed: 21.06.2024.
  • 7. World Data Bank. Health indicators 2024. World Data Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=DE. Published: 01.2024. Accessed: 17.10.2024.
  • 8. OECD. Health at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators. OECD www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 20.10.2024.
  • 9. Crooks VA, Labonté R, Ceron A, Johnston R, Snyder J, Snyder M. Medical tourism will obligate physicians to elevate their level so that they can compete: A qualitative exploration of the anticipated impacts of inbound medical tourism on health human resources in Guatemala. Hum Resour Health. 2019;17(1):53.
  • 10. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık turizmi hasta memnuniyeti raporu: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 20.10.2024.
  • 11. Shabankareh M, Nazarian A, Golestaneh MH, Dalouchi F. Health tourism and government supports. International Journal of Emerging Markets. 2023;20(4):1440-1464
  • 12. Germany Travel. "Facts and Figures 2022." Germany Travel. https://www.germany.travel/media/pdf_5/pdf/dzt_marktforschung/2023_5/ZahlenDatenFakten_2022barrierefrei2023en.pdf. Published: 01.2023. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 13. Şahin D. JCI Akreditasyonu ile Türkiye’de sağlık hizmetlerinin kalite ve akreditasyonuyla ilgili kuruluşların çalışmalarına ilişkin araştırma. SKAD. 2020;3(1):16-26.
  • 14. İştar E. Health tourism in Turkey: A study on newspapers. Uluslararası Sağlık Yönetimi ve Stratejileri Araştırma Dergisi. 2016;1(3):26-35.
  • 15. Omay EG, Cengiz E. Health tourism in Turkey: Opportunities and threats. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 2013;4(10):424-431. doi: 10.5901/mjss.2013.v4n10p424.
  • 16. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı Sağlık Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü. Sağlık Kuruluşları Akreditasyon Raporu: 2018-2022. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. https://shgmkalitedb.saglik.gov.tr/TR-105987/saglikta-performans-ve-kalite-dergisi-21-cilt-3-sayisi-yayinlanmistir.html. Published: 10.2024. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 17. Akgün S. Medical tourism in Turkey: Past, present, and future. The European Journal of Public Health. 2015;25(3):167-014. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckv167.014.
  • 18. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Medical tourism market report in Germany: 2022. Destatis. www.destatis.de Published: 10.2024. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 19. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health Tourism Reports: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany. https://www.destatis.de. Published: 10.2023. Accessed: 13.08.2024.
  • 20. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu (TÜİK). Turizm İstatistikleri. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turizm-Istatistikleri-II.-Ceyrek:-Nisan-Haziran,-2024-53658. Published July 2024. Accessed August 14, 2024.
  • 21. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health tourism satisfaction surveys: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). https://www.destatis.de. Published October 2023. Accessed August 14, 2024.
  • 22. Türkiye Sağlık Bakanlığı. Sağlık Turizmi İstatistikleri: 2018-2022. https://www.saglik.gov.tr. Published October 2023. Accessed August 17, 2024.
  • 23. USHAŞ. Sağlık Turizm Verileri. USHAŞ. https://www.ushas.com.tr/saglik-turizmi-verileri/. Published October 2023. Accessed August 17, 2024.
  • 24. Eryer A. Sağlık turizminin ekonomik boyutu: Türkiye üzerine bir değerlendirme. Journal of Economics and Research. 2024;5(1):63-80. doi: 10.53280/jer.1415610.
  • 25. Heinz T, Eidmann A, Jakuscheit A, Laux T, Rudert M, Stratos I. Demographics and trends for inbound medical tourism in Germany for orthopedic patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(2):1209.
  • 26. Yılmaz FK, Ugur TN, Rese M. A comparative study of the Turkish and German health care systems with regard to quality management in psychiatric hospitals. International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences (IJMESS). 2019;8(3):223-241.
  • 27. Yılmaz S, Sarıaydın İ, Sönal T. Türkiye’nin sağlık turizmi fırsatları: İngiltere örneği. Avrasya Sosyal ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi. 2020;7(1):74-85.
  • 28. Arrive Turkey. Visa requirements for medical tourism in Turkey. Arrive Turkey. https://arriveturkey.com/health-tourism/visa-requirements-for-medical-tourism-in-turkey/ Published 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 29. Germany Visa. Germany visa for the purpose of medical treatment. Germany Visa. https://www.germany-visa.org/. Published 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 30. OECD. Health at a Glance 2021: OECD Indicators. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/health/health-at-a-glance. Published November 2021. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 31. Statista Research Department. Medical tourism in Germany: Market growth and forecast 2018-2022. Statista Research Department. https://www.statista.com. Published 2023. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 32. WHO. Global health and healthcare trends in medical tourism: European countries including Germany. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int. Published 2020. Accessed August 19, 2024.
  • 33. TÜİK Turizm İstatistikleri. Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Turizm-Istatistikleri-I.-Ceyrek:-Ocak-Mart,-2024-53657. Published April 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024.
  • 34. World Data Bank. Population growth (annual %) - Germany. World Data Bank. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=DE Published April 2022. Accessed October 17, 2024.
  • 35. OECD. Health at a Glance 2022: OECD Indicators. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/health-at-a-glance-europe-2022_507433b0-en.html. Published December 2022. Accessed August 13, 2024.
  • 36. Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis). Health tourism satisfaction surveys: 2018-2022. Federal Statistical Office of Germany . https://www.destatis.de/EN/Home/_node.html. Published: 12.2023. Accessed: 21.02.2024
There are 36 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Health Economy, Health Promotion, Health Care Administration, Health Management
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Canan Bulut 0000-0001-5092-5261

Early Pub Date April 29, 2025
Publication Date April 29, 2025
Submission Date October 24, 2024
Acceptance Date March 6, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Issue: 25

Cite

JAMA Bulut C. International Health Tourism: A Strategic Comparison of Türkiye and Germany. IGUSABDER. 2025;:269–284.

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