ULUSKON Launches City-Based Health Tourism Diplomacy

ULUSKON Launches City-Based Health Tourism Diplomacy

African Ambassadors Gather in Malatya

The International Investment and Business Confederation (ULUSKON) has initiated a new diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening health tourism in Türkiye. The first program, which brings African ambassadors together with Turkish cities, was held in Malatya with the participation of ambassadors from 30 African countries. The initiative drew attention as a new model designed to showcase the health potential of Turkish cities on the international stage.

Atasoy: “Every Province Can Open Its Doors to the International Health Arena”

ULUSKON President and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Nezaket Emine Atasoy stated after the meeting, “Every province in Türkiye possesses unique strengths in terms of health tourism. We are bringing this strength together with Africa’s healthcare needs and investment capacity. We are ready to carry out similar work in any province that extends an invitation to us along with our ambassadorial delegations.”
Atasoy emphasized that city-based health tourism diplomacy is not merely a series of promotional visits, adding: “This initiative represents a new diplomatic format in which the health infrastructure of our cities meets the world.”

Ambassadors Examine Local Health Infrastructure Firsthand

As part of the program held in Malatya, ambassadors from African countries conducted comprehensive on-site inspections of the city’s health institutions. The ambassadors received detailed briefings on the infrastructure of the city hospital, the specialized departments of the university hospital, the international patient capacity of private hospitals, and the region’s thermal and rehabilitation facilities.

Following the visit, the ambassadors described Malatya’s health capacity as “highly promising” and stated that this model should also be implemented in other provinces of Türkiye.

A Three-Step Model of City-Based Diplomacy

ULUSKON’s city-based health diplomacy model progresses through a comprehensive three-stage system.
In the first stage, a health profile of the city is created, analyzing hospital capacities, areas of specialization, transportation and logistics capabilities, and potential opportunities for healthcare investments.
In the second stage, delegations of ambassadors from African countries visit the respective city to inspect hospitals on-site, hold meetings with healthcare administrators, and evaluate the city’s capacity for international patients.
In the third stage, based on the results of these visits, country-specific protocols are drafted with African nations, covering patient referrals, healthcare investments, training, and academic cooperation.
This model aims to introduce Türkiye’s cities to the international health tourism arena through a structured and diplomatic approach.

An Open Call to Cities: “We Are Ready—Invite Us”

ULUSKON representatives emphasized that city-based health tourism diplomacy presents a significant opportunity both economically and in terms of international visibility, extending the following call:
“With invitations from our governorates, provincial culture directorates, universities, and private hospitals, we are ready to expand this program to other provinces. Every province in Türkiye can have a place in this international showcase.”

Success of the Model Opens the Door for New Cities

The strong participation and high diplomatic interest in Malatya paved the way for the project to expand into other Turkish cities. In the upcoming period, ULUSKON will evaluate requests from various provinces and aims to spread health tourism diplomacy nationwide.