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Journals / Journal of Tourism Intelligence and Smartness / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1

The Role of Health Tourism Revenues in Closing Turkish Hospitals’ Foreign-Exchange Gaps: A Systematic Literature Review of the Post-Pandemic Period 2022–2025

Türkiye’de Sağlık Turizmi Gelirlerinin Hastanelerin Döviz Açığını Kapatmadaki Rolü: 2022-2025 Pandemi Sonrası Dönem Sistemli Literatür Taraması

Ufuk Burak Karcıoğlu(ISTINYE UNIVERSITY)0009-0006-9131-6407
Pages
16–25
Publication Date
2026-06-20
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

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

Findings reveal that health tourism revenue in accredited private and university hospitals increased from USD 842 million in 2022 to approximately USD 2.6–2.8 billion (annualized) in 2025.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:This systematic literature review examines the extent to which health tourism revenues contributed to closing foreign-exchange gaps in Turkish hospitals during the post-pandemic recovery period of 2022–2025.
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Key Findings & Data:Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 12 studies and official reports published between January 2022 and June 2025 were synthesized.
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Conclusion & Impact:Findings reveal that health tourism revenue in accredited private and university hospitals increased from USD 842 million in 2022 to approximately USD 2.6–2.8 billion (annualized) in 2025.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:2022–2025 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Sağlık Turizmi · Tıbbi Turizm · Hastane Finansal Sürdürülebilirliği

Abstract

This systematic literature review examines the extent to which health tourism revenues contributed to closing foreign-exchange gaps in Turkish hospitals during the post-pandemic recovery period of 2022–2025. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 12 studies and official reports published between January 2022 and June 2025 were synthesized. Findings reveal that health tourism revenue in accredited private and university hospitals increased from USD 842 million in 2022 to approximately USD 2.6–2.8 billion (annualized) in 2025. Many sampled institutions reported that international patient revenues significantly offset their FX needs, and in some cases may have exceeded annual import costs. Hair transplantation, oncology, cardiovascular surgery, orthopedics, and reproductive medicine accounted for over 70 % of this revenue. The financial relief was heavily concentrated in large private and university hospitals in major cities, while public and regional hospitals benefited only marginally. The review concludes that health tourism has become a critical financial buffer against currency depreciation and import dependency, yet its benefits remain unequally distributed across the healthcare system.

Özet

Bu sistematik literatür taraması, 2022-2025 pandemi sonrası toparlanma döneminde sağlık turizmi gelirlerinin Türk hastanelerinin döviz açıklarını kapatmada hangi ölçüde etkili olduğunu incelemektedir. PRISMA 2020 rehberi izlenerek, Ocak 2022-Haziran 2025 arasında yayımlanmış 12 çalışma ve resmi rapor sentezlenmiştir. Bulgular, uluslararası hasta yetkisi olan özel ve üniversite hastanelerinde sağlık turizmi gelirinin 2022’de 842 milyon USD’den 2025’te yıllıklandırılmış 2,6-2,8 milyar USD’ye yükseldiğini göstermektedir. 2024 itibarıyla medyan döviz karşılama oranı (sağlık turizmi USD geliri ÷ yıllık USD cinsinden ithalat maliyeti) 1,14’e, 2025’te tahmini 1,25-1,40’a ulaşmış; yani örneklemdeki hastanelerin çoğu döviz ihtiyacını uluslararası hastalardan elde ettikleri gelirle tam olarak karşılamış veya aşmıştır. Finansal rahatlama büyük ölçüde büyük şehirlerdeki özel ve üniversite hastanelerinde yoğunlaşmış; kamu ve bölgesel hastaneler ise çok sınırlı fayda sağlamıştır. Çalışma, sağlık turizminin TL’deki değer kaybı ve ithalata bağımlılığa karşı kritik bir finansal tampon haline geldiğini, ancak bu faydanın sağlık sisteminde eşit dağılmadığını ortaya koymaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Karcıoğlu, U. B. (2026). The Role of Health Tourism Revenues in Closing Turkish Hospitals’ Foreign-Exchange Gaps: A Systematic Literature Review of the Post-Pandemic Period 2022–2025. Journal of Tourism Intelligence and Smartness, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 16–25. https://doi.org/10.58636/jtis.1899058

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