Cyprus Health Tourism Council President, MP Dr. Ahmet Savaşan attended the “Health Tourism Workshop” organized by the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) in Izmir to represent the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

The three-day workshop, chaired by TÜRSAB Chairman Firuz Bağlıkaya, was attended by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Family and Social Services, the Governorship of Izmir, as well as TÜRSAB Board Members, Health Tourism Specialization Chairman, HİB Secretary General, travel agencies, hospitals and intermediary institutions operating in the field of health tourism.

In his opening speech, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Savaşan pointed out that the results of the workshop will make significant contributions to the economy of Turkey and TRNC and thanked TÜRSAB President Firuz Bağlıkaya for including TRNC in the organization.

The development of global tourism has led to global resource utilization...

Pointing out that today, the rate of increase in the world's population has increased the pressure on limited resources and changed the quality of the natural and social environment, Dr. Ahmet Savaşan emphasized that the development of the global tourism system has led to the use of global resources.

The Covid-19 pandemic is the result of global time and space compression.

Pointing out that the Covid-19 pandemic is a result of global time and space compression, Ahmet Savaşan underlined that the pandemic has deeply affected all economic, political, social, cultural, touristic, etc. activities of the world. Stating that the tourism sector and economies have been hit very hard by this pandemic, Ahmet Savaşan said that the level of impact of the travel and tourism industry, which is an integral part of both the positive and negative effects of globalization processes, on the Covid-19 outbreak is parallel in Northern Cyprus as in the world.

Turkey also gives great support to TRNC in tourism...

Stating that despite the devastating consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, tourism has inevitably started again, the pandemic has brought about a holistic transformation in the world, Savaşan said that Turkey has given great support to the TRNC to keep up with this change in tourism as in all other areas and to contribute to its economic strengthening.

One of the countries that managed the pandemic best was Turkey and the TRNC...

Stating that the environment that developed after Covid-19 created an important opportunity for both Turkey and TRNC, Ahmet Savaşan pointed out that “among the developed countries and tourism competitor countries in the Mediterranean basin during the pandemic; one of the countries that managed the fight against the pandemic best in terms of case, recovery and mortality rates and treatment facilities was Turkey and the other was the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus with the support of Turkey. “This success of our countries, which resonates internationally, has increased the trust in Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Thanks to the success we have achieved in protecting the health of our people during the Covid-19 process, I foresee that our countries, which offer various products such as medical tourism, thermal tourism, advanced age tourism and disabled tourism by combining health services and tourism services at the point of holiday understanding, which has started to change rapidly in the world, will increase the revenues from tourism in the coming period.”.

The trend towards health-protective and health-promoting vacations has increased...

Ahmet Savaşan also said that people who want to get rid of the psychological and mental fatigue experienced during the Covid-19 process are turning towards health-protective and health-improving holidays after the pandemic, and underlined that countries offering wellness, SPA and thermal products will gain significant momentum in health tourism. Ahmet Savaşan emphasized that the issues of health tourism law and legislation, training for health tourism and increasing qualified human resources, sales and marketing strategies, international certification and accreditation, which were discussed at the workshop, are of decisive importance in reaching a sustainable point in this field by developing health tourism products suitable for the changing tourist profile after the pandemic in the Republic of Turkey and TRNC.