Journal of Travel and Tourism Research

Abstract

Tourism is a sector that stimulates the economy, increases employment and accelerates cash inflow to the region by creating monetary and real economic effects at the country, region and destination level. Regional development models that focus on one or more touristic products that will create attraction power in regions with touristic potential required for the development of tourism, as well as physical and institutional infrastructure and superstructure, are successful. In this sense, in regional planning studies aiming at the economic, social and physical growth and coordination of a region, arrangements should be made to establish touristic supply capacity, taking into account the touristic potential.
One of the most important stages of regional tourism planning is the selection and development of the right touristic product(s) that have attraction power for the destination in question. In regional planning regarding tourism; By evaluating the natural economic assets and socio-cultural asset values and events of the region, touristic products that can create attraction power should be determined, and among these, those with high competitiveness should be selected as priority products. In addition to choosing the right touristic product, a balanced development in the tourism sector can be achieved by the coordination of the public sector, private sector and non-governmental organizations operating in the field of tourism. Thus, it will be possible for the region to receive a higher share of the tourism income generated throughout the country.
In this study, the applicability of regional development theories to the tourism sector was evaluated and information was given about the current situation of health tourism in the world and in Turkey. In line with these approaches; An organization model proposal has been presented in order to eliminate the uncertainties regarding the institution to be contacted in the city in order to reveal the potential of health tourism, which is determined as a highly competitive tourist product with the potential to create attraction power for Izmir, to manage it and to direct the demand effectively.