An evaluation on Samsun's medikal tourism status

Medical tourism, which is developing rapidly throughout the world and in our country, is an important market globally. Today, the development of technology, ease of transportation, increase in costs, medical tourism, which is one of the types of health tourism, has increased its importance due to its higher added value. Medical Tourism is the cooperation with the tourism sector for the purpose of general surgery operations or medical care requiring specialist medical care and medical care where the costs to patients are an important factor. Samsun is a city in the center of the Central Black Sea with its climate, natural beauties, tourism, hospital investments, transportation diversity and convenience. The aim of the study is to determine the current situation of Samsun in medical tourism, to reveal its potential and to make suggestions for the development of medical tourism. In the second part of the study, the conceptual framework of health tourism and medical tourism is explained. In the third part of the study, Samsun's medical tourism, reasons for preference and potential are discussed. In the field research of the study, interviews were conducted with the managers of Samsun's international health tourism licensed hospitals, medical center, polyclinic and practice. The findings obtained from the interviews were analyzed descriptively and a SWOT analysis was obtained. In the findings, from which countries patients come to Samsun the most, the reasons for Samsun to be preferred, the branches in which it stands out in medical tourism and its current situation, the cooperation of hospitals and hotels in accommodation services, the difficulties faced by private hospitals, the channels most used by medical tourists to reach hospitals, medical tourism It is explained how the income can be increased and which promotional activities are carried out in medical tourism. As a result, Samsun should be branded in the branches in which it stands out, and problems such as direct flights, licenses and lack of advertising should be resolved. It has been determined that Samsun has a good potential in medical tourism, and suggestions have been developed for the areas that need to be developed. Keywords: Health Tourism, Medical Tourism, Thermal Tourism, Advanced Age and Disabled Tourism