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Journals / Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 76

THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MEDICAL TOURISM: A STUDY OF ARAB TOURISTSists

SOSYAL MEDYANIN MEDİKAL TURİZM ÜZERİNE ETKİLERİ: ARAP TURİSTLERE YÖNELİK BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Ahmet Selçuk Gürkan(SAKARYA UYGULAMALI BİLİMLER ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0001-6432-6833
Pages
22–39
Publication Date
2026-09-14
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings indicate that social media content significantly supports information search, trust formation, and decision-making processes, with visual content and positive user reviews playing a particularly decisive role in healthcare provider selection.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This study examines the effects of social media content shared in the context of medical tourism in Turkiye on tourists’ decision-making processes, focusing on the case of Arab tourists.
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Key Findings & Data:Specifically, the research evaluates the influence of social media elements such as visual content and user-generated reviews on individuals’ information search behaviour, trust perception, and healthcare provider choice.
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings indicate that social media content significantly supports information search, trust formation, and decision-making processes, with visual content and positive user reviews playing a particularly decisive role in healthcare provider selection.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Medikal Turizm · Sağlık Turizmi · Medikal Turizm Pazarlaması

Abstract

This study examines the effects of social media content shared in the context of medical tourism in Turkiye on tourists’ decision-making processes, focusing on the case of Arab tourists. Specifically, the research evaluates the influence of social media elements such as visual content and user-generated reviews on individuals’ information search behaviour, trust perception, and healthcare provider choice. The study employs a measurement instrument developed based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and is conducted through face-to-face surveys with 460 Arab tourists who received services from aesthetic centres holding official medical tourism authorisation certificates in the provinces of Istanbul, Kocaeli, and Sakarya. The findings indicate that social media content significantly supports information search, trust formation, and decision-making processes, with visual content and positive user reviews playing a particularly decisive role in healthcare provider selection. In addition, factors such as Turkiye’s tourism diversity, cost advantages, and geographical proximity are identified as key determinants shaping participants’ destination preferences. By utilising a TPB-based measurement structure and empirical data obtained from a specific target market, the study provides original contributions to the literature by revealing the role of social media in medical tourism decision-making processes at both theoretical and empirical levels.

Özet

Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de medikal turizm bağlamında paylaşılan sosyal medya içeriklerinin karar verme süreci üzerindeki etkisini, Arap turistler örneklemi üzerinden incelemektedir. Araştırmada, görsel paylaşımlar ve kullanıcı yorumları gibi sosyal medya unsurlarının bireylerin bilgi inceleme davranışı, güven algısı ve sağlık işletmesi tercihi üzerindeki etkileri değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma, Planlı Davranış Teorisi (TPB) temel alınarak geliştirilen bir ölçüm aracıyla, İstanbul, Kocaeli ve Sakarya illerinde faaliyet gösteren sağlık turizmi yetki belgeli estetik merkezlerinden hizmet alan 460 Arap turist ile yüz yüze anket yöntemi kullanılarak yürütülmüştür. Bulgular, sosyal medya içeriklerinin bilgi inceleme, güven oluşturma ve karar verme süreçlerini anlamlı biçimde desteklediğini; özellikle görsel içerikler ile olumlu kullanıcı yorumlarının işletme tercihinde belirleyici rol oynadığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca Türkiye’nin turistik çeşitliliği, maliyet avantajları ve coğrafi yakınlığı gibi unsurların, katılımcıların destinasyon tercihlerini etkileyen temel faktörler arasında yer aldığı tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma, TPB’ye dayalı ölçüm yapısı ve belirli bir hedef pazardan elde edilen ampirik veriler aracılığıyla, sosyal medyanın medikal turizm karar süreçlerindeki rolünü ortaya koyarak literatüre özgün katkılar sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Gürkan, A. S. (2026). THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON MEDICAL TOURISM: A STUDY OF ARAB TOURISTSists. Pamukkale Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Sayı: 76, 22–39. https://doi.org/10.30794/pausbed.1734230

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