The Ministry of Economy’s new incentives for health tourism, aimed at drawing in patients from the Middle East as well as a wide number of nations, includes offering one thousand dollars for ever foreign patient brought to Turkey for treatment.
Turkey is now planning to lead the health tourism industry, only to add to the country's popularity as a destination already known for its beautiful seas, sandy beaches and sunny weather.
With the aim to reach two million patients and 20 billion dollars in revenue by the year 2023, Turkey will now be raining incentives on firms that bring in foreigners for treatment in Turkey. According to the communiqué, the Ministry of Economy will be offering 1,000 dollars in incentives to firms for every foreign patient they bring in to Turkey.
The state will also compensate for 50 percent of flight costs for patients arriving to Turkey for medical treatment from a number of target nations designated by the Economy Ministry.
TREATMENT AIMED AT 57 NATIONS
The Economy Coordination Council has approved an incentives package geared towards making Turkey the leading nation in health tourism in the region. In the first leg of 2013 a memorandum will be released for a new package of incentives for firms that bring in patients from 57 designated nations for treatment in Turkey.
The incentives package also includes the issuing of financial support for medical institutions and health tourism firms, totaling 50 percent or 300,000 dollars in support for medical institutions and companies dealing in health tourism.
RENT FROM THE STATE FOR PROMOTIONAL OFFICES
For health institutions that open pre-diagnosis centers that operate as a liaison office, the state is willing to cover the rent for a four-year span. For each center, a maximum of 200,000 dollars in support will be provided. Turkey's objective is to focus on treating patients from a designated 57 nations including the EU, United States and Middle Eastern countries.
TWO MILLION PATIENTS, 20 BILLION DOLLARS IN REVENUE
Dr. Dursun Aydın, Chairman of the Health Ministry's Health Tourism Department says that all forms of incentives and related legislation to ensure Turkey becomes a leading nation in health tourism will be completed next month.
According to Aydın, with the new incentives, they aim to bring in 500,000 patients and seven billion dollars in revenue in 2015 and to have reached two million patients and 20 billion dollars in revenue in 2023.
100,000 $ FOR A GOOGLE AD
Financial support of up to 100,000 dollars annually will be provided for international internet extensions of search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Yandex and Baudi.
This is a translation of an article originally written by Safure Canturk.