Turkey is emerging as a hotspot for medical tourists

Turkey has been named as one of the world's top medical tourist destinations and it could be good news for those considering buying property in the country as many analysts say it has bolstered its economy.

Hurriyet has recently reported that people are increasingly watching what they spend; Turkey's the low cost and high-quality healthcare facilities as well as the warm climate are key factors in its appeal to more mature buyers. The country also has some of the world's best-equipped hospitals. The Publication also added that people are opting for healthcare in Turkey due to the vacation opportunities available following recovery. The Turkish tourism authorities are bidding to attract more foreign visitors to the country by placing a renewed emphasis on its healthcare system.

Dr Dursun Aydin, president of the Association of Improving Health Tourism has stated that people from the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium and France are all flocking to Turkey for treatments.

He commented: "Europeans prefer Turkey mostly for plastic surgery, in vitro fertilization, dental treatment and laser eye surgery. These surgeries cost an average of 5,000 euros in Europe. In Turkey, the average cost for such surgeries varies between 500 to 900 euros.”

The promotion of the nation as a top tourist location may be good news for those looking for property in Turkey as medical tourists may need accommodation to rent during their stay. The quality and affordability of care as well as receptiveness to foreign investment makes it a profitable long term investment.

Meanwhile, Mustafa Durmaz, chairman of Goreme Tourism Development Centre, told that tourists are not only keen to visit Turkey, but are also interested in learning about the traditional and regional flavors of Turkish food, Worldbulletin.net reports.

Turkey's buy-to-let market is set to grow in 2009

Owners of rental accommodation in Turkey could be set to see a surge in demand over the next few months, according to an industry expert.

According to Giovanna Gentile, the PR executive of Atlas International said that the buy-to-let market in Turkey is currently very strong and the numbers of developers in Turkey are offering rental guarantees with the projects. She added that More than 26 million tourists visited Turkey in 2008. She cited the The Hurriyet Daily News reports which stated that the growth rate in the Mediterranean country was 13 per cent last year, compared with two per cent globally.

Ms Gentile highlighted the Bodrum peninsula, Altinkum and Didim as hotspots for British investors to look at. Antalya and Fethiye areas on the south Mediterranean coast are also recommended for "low cost of living and friendly locals". Since many Brits are feeling the effects of the credit crunch and rising living costs, they are increasingly opting to visit places which have the most favorable exchange rates. More and more consumers in the UK are booking trips to Turkey as it is considered to offer better value than other European countries.

With its consistently warm weather, fabulous beaches and increasing interest from European travelers looking to make the most of their currency, rental property owners who let out their residences to visitors will find that their services will be in much greater demand, leading to them receiving higher rental returns as a result, reports Property Wire.

Liam Bailey, global markets expert at Property Wire, commented: "Investors thinking of purchasing a rental property in Turkey may be able to look forward to healthy yields as booming tourism means the eight per cent average rental yield can easily be exceeded."

Turkish government initiatives to raise tourism standards

Tourist authorities in Turkey have announced plans to improve tourism facilities and to increase the amount of visitors by introducing a unified standard for accommodation in the country.

According to Turkish news provider Hurriyet, new plans are being designed by the ministry of culture and tourism to attract visitors whereby accommodation facilities licensed by municipalities will be required to meet the same standards as those overseen by the ministry. Tourism officials hope that the scheme will raise the quality of hotel and apartment facilities in response to the growing number of foreign visitors choosing Turkey as a holiday destination.

Ertugrul Gunay, Culture and tourism minister has said he wants Turkey to be in the top five by 2013. He stated that in order to achieve this goal, Mr Gunay said that the amenities and facilities in the top tourist hotspots must work at peak efficiency and be in full working order. This is encouraging news for overseas property owners who depend on tourism to generate returns, such as buy-to-let investors.

The Turkish Daily News stated that Turkish property market could be set to benefit from a boost to the country's tourist trade as tourist numbers are expected to "increase significantly" in the next two years. The website cited the latest figures from the Turkish tourism department which indicate 26 million tourists visited the country in 2008, compared with 23.5 million the previous year.

Turkey benefits from the change in holiday habits

The Turkish property market is to receive a boost by rising tourist numbers due to the changing holiday habits by British travelers as they choose Turkey as their destination.

The Turkish tourism officials have credited current exchange rates across Europe are helping to boost the sector. Travel agent Dawson and Sanderson claimed that this has come about as the weakness of the pound against the euro has made holidaying within the euro zone more expensive and Turkey offers very favorable exchange rates with the UK.

Ahmet Barut, head of the Turkish Hoteliers Federation, Speaking to TurkishPress.com, said that Turkey is now being widely seen as a good-value alternative to traditional European markets. According to the Turkish Hoteliers Federation, there has been a 17 per cent increase in the number of British visitors to the country this year and travel experts have said they expect this pattern to continue in 2009. The tourism growth makes buying a property in a popular holiday region a profitable venture for overseas investors.

The cost of property is still relatively low and bargains can still be found despite price hikes of up to 40 per cent in some areas of Turkey.

According to the Telegraph, Turkey is a highly affordable location which is also very easy to reach. Spokesman of the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) said: "With the position of the currencies unlikely to get much better we expect people will continue to look further afield to North Africa and Turkey, which offer much better value for money and where you can still find dinner for two for £20."

In related news, the Post Office described Turkey as one of the "best value" short-haul destinations in Europe.