Mayor of Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyerattended the Health Tourism Summit organized in cooperation with Hürriyet Newspaper and health institutions. Soyer said, “We can make İzmir one of the world's most beautiful brands in health tourism. In fact, we are after a return-i reputation," he said.
Organized with the cooperation of Hürriyet Newspaper and organizations operating in the field of health, the Health Tourism Summit brought together the important names of the sector. At the summit, İzmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç SoyerAli Alperen Kaçar, Deputy General Manager of International Service Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, Mahmut Özgener, President of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, and many participants from the health sector.
“Health is a brand for Izmir”
Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, who spoke at the summit held at the Izmir Chamber of Commerce and where the importance of Izmir in health tourism was discussed. Tunç SoyerStating that life flows locally, “The world of the future will be a world where cities stand out much more. Competition between cities and cooperation between cities will shape the future. At this point, the brands of cities begin to become much more visible and meaningful. There are such cities that the city's brand is bigger than its country, it is known more than its country. The brands of cities are actually like the clothes they wear. You put on an outfit on the city, it falls off as soon as it sits, or it suits you very well. Health is such an identity, such a brand for this city. Because this identity of this city is not something virtual and artificial that we stick on us today. On the contrary, it is a brand that takes its roots from the past. Galen is the greatest doctor history has ever known since Hippocrates. He came out of this land. The logo of medicine, the double-headed snake, came out of this land.”
“We have to bring health and tourism together”
Stating that they are after a return of reputation as İzmir, the President Tunç Soyer“We want this identity, which suits this city very well, to become a more known and understandable identity in international and inter-city competitions. Why tourism? Because while the world is globalizing, distances and times have become so short that the service you produce for health in a city becomes accessible all over the world. In fact, the coexistence of health with tourism is the inevitable result of this global development.”
“We should not allow the separation of power”
Saying, “Health is actually a state of well-being,” Mayor Soyer said, “Izmir is a city where well-being is experienced. Because its fertile lands, climate, agriculture and geographical location are so special… You can only tell the whole world about yourself through this. One of the topics that you can explain this best is health. That is, the state of being well. That's why everyone from all over Turkey wants to come to Izmir one day, at least for a vacation. Everyone has İzmir in the corner of their mind. We can make İzmir one of the world's most beautiful brands in health tourism. Why haven't we done it until now? First of all, we need to tell everyone about this awareness. Everyone needs to understand that this city can build its future on health tourism, he said.
Unity message from President Soyer
Stating that for the industry to move forward, it needs to work in harmony in unity and solidarity, Chairman Soyer said, “Everyone has to join hands. We have no other choice. If we are not able to work hand in hand under such a big and powerful title, we have a shortcoming. Because everything is extraordinarily beautiful, powerful. We need to stop complaining and think, 'Where am I going wrong? I believe we can do this. I believe with all my heart that this country, this beautiful geography, these beautiful people can overcome this. The future awaits us. An extraordinarily bright and bright future awaits us.”
Call from Governor Köşger to the tourism sector
İzmir Governor Yavuz Selim Köşger drew attention to İzmir's potential in the field of tourism and said, “But the sector needs to be ready for this issue, it has to be demanding. Summer tourism is a bit active. Let tourists come for three or four months, then when winter comes, let's lock the door. We cannot spend the season in İzmir with this kind of tourism understanding," he said.
“We are one of the top ten countries in the world in health care exports”
In his speech, İzmir Chamber of Commerce President Mahmut Özgener emphasized that global health tourism has a size of approximately 5 trillion dollars and said, “İzmir is a virgin city and has great advantages to offer to investors with its logistics opportunities, climate and nature in terms of investments to be made in the field of health tourism. Compared to the same quarter of the previous year, health expenditures made by foreigners in our country increased by 68,9 percent. 5 percent of the foreigners who visited our country traveled for health purposes. We are one of the top ten countries in the world in health care exports," he said.
“Izmir is a very important destination”
Ali Alperen Kaçar, Deputy General Manager of International Service Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, stated that they look at health tourism as health exports as a ministry and said, “We have started a new era in health tourism exports. We have introduced a very important incentive mechanism that has not been seen before for all service sectors, including health tourism. We identify the needs and problems of the sector and reveal practices that will solve them. İzmir is a very important destination.”
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