Sanitas SPA Founder and TÜGİAD Vice President. Dr. Şebnem Akman Balta who spoke with Mesut Yar at the panel titled 'Burada Turizm Çok ' organized by Tourismjournal news site, shared important information about the Spa and Wellness sector.
Şebnem Balta, stated that they provide service with 17 branches in total, and she added the annual spa & Wellness turnover in Turkey is approximately 400 million dollars ,and this figure increases every year.
WE HAVE GREAT POTENTIAL
Balta stated that although Spa and Wellness service is a new type of service in Turkish tourism, its number has increased rapidly in a short time and said, “We have been in the wellness sector for 20 years.In our country, the value of this sector has become well known since1995. Now, some medical applications have been added such as supportive care, or massages that prevent sports injuries. We have experienced staff in this area.Atatürk had a good quate 'Entrust me to Turkish doctors' We can think of Antalya as the capital of Turkish tourism.First of all, Istanbul and Antalya have become the center of attraction in medical tourism. We give tailor made service and we have offered solution partnership and consultancy services abroad.We have a value like a Turkish bath. We do this job better than abroad. We can create the best brand cities in the world if the Ministry supports us in order to solve the branding problem.
FOREIGN INVESTORS ARE NOT COMING
Sanitas SPA Founder Şebnem Balta continued as follows: “We have hardworking people, we live in an inflationary environment. When we look at the import and export rate, we are at a point where we cannot make a profit.Now, we have to keep up with the changing conditions every day and make variable plans. We live the moment and we organize according to dailt changes. That's why we're having trouble with branding. We cannot bring foreign investment and capital into the country.As we have lost confidence in the international market, we have started to lose large investments and experienced personnel towards Dubai and Qatar. Let me tell you as an academician, 11.7 percent of the $439 billion revenue comes from wellness."