Around 1 million people came to Türkiye and spent approximately $2 billion on hair transplants last year, said the head of the Turkish Health Tourism Association.

"Half of the $4 billion turnover in 2022 was obtained from hair transplantation services," Servet Terziler told Anadolu Agency (AA).

"If we assume that the foreign currency left by an average patient for hair transplantation is $2,000, we can say that 1 million people came to Türkiye for hair transplantation in 2022," Terziler added.

According to Terziler, Türkiye also exceeded the $500 million turnover in dental services and about $400 million in aesthetic surgery.

Stating that foreign tourists also showed massive interest in spa tourism, he said that a figure exceeding $10 billion had been reached with the income received from spa tourism.

Terziler said the immediate goal of the health tourism sector is to reach a figure of $20 billion.

Stressing that Türkiye had a very good crisis management experience in the field of health during the coronavirus period, he said: "Türkiye’s health infrastructure is very strong. We have increased quality to the highest level with our doctors and allied health personnel."

Noting that they are receiving "very serious demand" from European countries, Terziler said by making insurance agreements between the states, efforts are made to ensure that foreigners receive health services in our country.

Türkiye’s largest city "Istanbul is taking a firm step toward its goal of becoming the health tourism capital of the world," he said.

Noting the stagnation during the COVID-19 pandemic due to travel restrictions across the world, he said that the demand accumulated at that time caused the density in 2022. "We are also very hopeful for 2023."

Criticizing unregistered clinics, he said that the Health Ministry has tightened its inspections.

According to Terziler, the unregistered clinics both defame the image of Türkiye and "reverse the current positive wind. We see this a lot, especially in hair transplantation."

He also mentioned a group of people who go abroad to practice illegal hair transplants.

"We started training through associations in order to increase the quality of service. Training processes continue in clinics and hospitals," he said.

Robotic hair transplantation has started to take place in Türkiye, he said, adding that Turkish clinics can increase the quality of health services with technology and innovation.