EMITT 2014 to focus on health & wellness industry

The EMITT 2014 Fair, aiming to raise the bar of Turkey’s health care, aesthetics, thermal and SPA tourism, is allocating an entire 2,000 square meter hall at TUYAP to all establishments of health care and healthy living industries. 

This Fair will provide these agencies the opportunity to meet 60,000 industry professionals among 140,000 visitors from 70 countries.

In a groundbreaking move, East Mediterranean International Tourism and Travel Exhibition (EMITT) to take place at TÜYAP Exhibition Center in Beylikdüzü for the 18th edition will assign an entire hall to health care, aesthetics, thermal and spa tourism, thanks to the efforts of IDA Consulting and b2b Medical Encounters’ Project Consultant M. Ergun Güvenç. The EMITT 2014 Fair, seeking to raise Turkey’s health tourism status which encourages the country’s potential in sustaining a diverse tourism sector for future business ventures, further aims to become the venue for Turkey's leading hospitals and health care clinics, specifically thermal and SPA resorts, in addition to meet both domestic and international companies of the sector in order to provide a significant contribution to Turkey’s health care tourism industry.

Lack of understanding the importance of health care tourism

Touching upon how inaccurate the perception that health care tourism basically equates seeking low-cost medical care in other countries, Ekin Fair Director Hacer Aydın highlights that the industry has a far extending reach, extending from plastic surgery to aesthetic centres, from health care, SPA and thalassotherapy centres to physiotherapy resorts, from health care tourism agencies to assistance companies, and from health accommodations to health insurance companies, to also include all cosmetic agencies and even non-governmental organisations.

Emphasizing Turkey’s high potential in health care tourism due its geographical location coupled with its strong health care infrastructure, Aydın affirms that the country is currently the leading health care tourism centre throughout the Balkans, the Caucasus and the Middle East, highlighting that no obstacles stand in its way from becoming one of Europe’s leading health care headquarters in the light of its current strength. Aydın further maintains that health care tourism currently has the highest added value among its contenders and that the EMITT Fair will ensure a first in this direction, becoming a leader in the sector.

Turkey's health standards tete-a-tete with the rest of the world

Indicating that Turkey accommodates some of the leading world-class hospitals and clinics, vision and dental facilities, hair transplant centres, thermal plants, medicinal mineral water sources, aesthetic and wellness centres, as well as SPA and wellness resorts, Aydın argues that the country stands as a leading example in the sector, with its strong and expert health care and healthy living infrastructure combined with its historical and cultural wealth. 

In fact, maintaining that the exhibition of 'health care tourism' alongside all other touristic wealth, being a global advantage, Aydın underscores that Turkey will benefit in the long run being a wealthy country in terms of its current potential. Aydın adds that individuals selecting other countries in seeking medical care also benefit from that country's cultural and touristic heritage​​, and of course will want to go shopping and require accommodations, to name a couple of services they will seek. This, Aydın emphasizes, is where Turkey must display an excellent introduction of its advantages in health care tourism to the rest of the world.

Going beyond regional boundaries to reach the global market

Aydın has also addressed that all health care and healthy living agencies participating in the EMITT 2014 Fair, the 5th largest globally and the leading tourism fair regionally, will have the opportunity to directly meet more than 900 travel agency directors and 200 direct buyers, in addition to having the opportunity to participate in various symposia and seminars to become familiar with the most recent advances in the global health care tourism front.

Asserting that EMITT 2014 Fair will provide all participants the added advantage of trade mark proficiency globally, Aydın again points out health care tourism as the fastest growing among its contenders in the field. Adding that Turkey has all qualifications for health care tourism industry thanks to its modern thermal plants and medicinal mineral water reserves, along with world-class infrastructure with the most recent technological equipment, as well as a staff of specialized physicians in hospitals and clinics, and the 6th largest aesthetic and beauty centre in the world, Aydın basically maintains that EMITT, being a highly cherished fair on an international scale, will make a huge contribution in this front.

Touching upon the importance of proficiency in tourism, Aydın states that in spite of its advantages in terms of facilities, geographical location and natural beauty in the Mediterranean, Turkey still faces competition on the tourism front. Meanwhile, Aydın says, Turkey has the potential to become a leader in health care tourism front with the ability to reap profits.

Health care industry present at EMITT

All eyes of those who want to have their voices heard and advance towards global trade marks in this sector have already been set on EMİTT 2014 Fair.

All hospitals and clinics, vision and dental facilities, IVF centres, dialysis clinics, physiotherapy centres, plastic surgery and aesthetic centres, hair transplantation centres, weight loss clinics, health accommodations, SPA and thalassic resorts, mineral water sources and facilities, health tourism agencies, insurance companies, assistance companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical equipment supply companies, cosmetics companies, food and bio-natural beverage companies, non-governmental organisations and the media are getting ready to participate in the 2014 EMITT Fair