Hungary Leader Sees Dental Tourism as Recovery Tool
Dental tourism generates up to 227 million Euros annually for Hungary, giving it a 40% share of Europe’s dental tourism market, according to its government. Now the country is aiming for a two-fold increase in dental tourism in three years. Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban told a recent dental tourism conference near Budapest that dental tourism will help Hungary’s economy recover, while demonstrating the country’s high standards of care. The Hungarian government plans major investments in dental services, including incentives designed to keep Hungarian dentists from emigrating to other countries. 

Turkey Emerging as Medical Travel Destination
Turkey is emerging as a regional player in medical travel, because of its proximity to Eastern Europe and the Middle East. It is also a growing destination for U.S. medical tourists, according to the report Emerging Medical Tourism in Turkey, by market research firm RNCOS. The number of medical tourists to Turkey is forecast to increase by about 26% between 2010 and 2014, due to lower costs and government spending on promotional activities. Strong growth also will result from increased investments by the private sector. Turkey has one of the highest numbers of internationally-accredited hospitals in the world, the report notes. Affiliations of Turkish hospitals’ with U.S. institutions, such as Johns Hopkins and Harvard, are attracting U.S. medical travelers.