Sun, sea and surgery: Why Turkey is poised to overtake France as the second most popular European holiday destination

Turkey is poised to overtake France as the second most popular European holiday destination after Spain – partly due to its booming but ‘dangerous’ medical tourism industry.

The country, which straddles Europe and Asia, has seen a remarkable 70 per cent rise in visitors compared with before the pandemic, with 44.6 million tourists going there in 2022.

This number is set to hit 50 million visitors in 2023, according to figures from tourism bodies WTM and Tourism Economics.

Turkey has long been popular for its stunning beaches but medical tourism is thought to be a ‘small, but significant’ reason behind the recent growth in visitor numbers.

In 2022, the country welcomed 1.2 million medical tourists and 746,290 have already flocked there in the first half of 2023.

Turkey has seen a remarkable 70 per cent rise in visitors compared with before the pandemic, with 44.6 million tourists going there in 2022 (File Photo)

Hair transplantation and cosmetic dentistry top the treatment list in Turkey, followed by laser-eye correction and weight-loss surgery (Stock Image)

Hair transplantation and cosmetic dentistry top the treatment list in the country, followed by laser-eye correction and weight-loss surgery.

According to the Turkish Dental Association, up to 250,000 foreign patients arrive in the country every year for cosmetic dentistry.

Many seek the procedure known as ‘Turkey teeth’, which British dentists are increasingly concerned about.

Dr Maurice Johannes, of the Harley Street Smile Clinic in London, said: ‘They have crowns put on which involves the tooth being filed down to a stump. Nerves are damaged and often corrective treatment is needed.’

Istanbul, which saw more than 1.7 million visitors in August alone, is a particularly popular destination for men seeking hair transplants.

In surgery offered there known as follicular unit extraction, hairs and their follicles are lifted from the back of the head before they are replanted on bare or thinning patches. Patients are given only a local anaesthetic.

According to ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents), Turkey is becoming increasingly popular among British tourists and is now the eighth most visited destination.

The Foreign Office says it was aware of ‘more than 25 British nationals who have died in Turkey since January 2019 following medical procedures’ and warned about outbreaks of botulism linked to weight-loss treatments performed in Istanbul and Izmir in February.