DEİK on Sunday released the details of a health tourism report, which was previously introduced to the Ministry of Finance, saying the sector needs a value-added tax (KDV) incentive for a sustainable rejuvenation in the years to come.

Turkey is among the few countries that offer vast opportunities in health tourism, the report read, adding that the country could attract around 1 million patients per year once the necessary infrastructure is established. Turkey is attracting attention with quality and low-cost health tourism services along with such countries as India, Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. An increasing number of people from different countries travel to these countries for medical treatment. Considering the remarkable tourism potential in the country, health tourism has a bright future in Turkey, the report finds.

The introduction of a possible KDV refund on health tourism services would boost this promising industry, the DEİK report argues, adding that a tax exemption would ensure sustainable growth in the long-term, injecting new life into the sector.

“Provided that steps are taken in this regard, the amount of revenue Turkey could earn from medical tourism could reach $8 billion annually starting from 2015.” Health tourism sector representatives are now waiting to see how the government will react to these demands.