Global crisis made searching for new things in trade field a must and it awakened the sleeping investors in a sense.
Now it is almost impossible to trade like tradesmen sell for cash. Discovery of success fields full of innovations became primary element that will guarantee staying in the market.
Our country is a tourism country…
As the number of tourists visiting Turkey is increasing, our tourism income is getting less. Our tourism professional’s lowering the prices in order to exist in the competition approach unfortunately caused this. New products, new places and new achievements possessing extremely dynamic markets can be fulfilled in order to diversify tourism. Turkey has a lot of qualities that can provide new dynamics in tourism, the world knows of these qualities much better than us. Turkey can host the aging population, which is becoming one of the biggest problems of the world each passing day, with its nature, climate, wealth, culture, hospitality and above all with its young population; with its youth who will be qualified and academic past Turkey can provide unique care services. There are many things that have to be done to provide a worthy life for elderly people in the world just like in Turkey. Among the chances that the countries, in which elderly people live, offer, climate, work force and economical possibilities are three main factors.
Can Turkey host…
However, Turkey can host world’s elderly people along with its own elderly people. To accomplish this, new living spaces, which take active, healthy and happy life circumstances as reference, have to be built. Families of elderly people and nursing homes comprise living spaces of elderly people in Turkey. The systems, which remove the activities of elderly people, inhibit elderly people’s social activities, do not take elderly people rehabilitations as reference, and do not offer services except feeding and sheltering must be quickly examined.
Who provides care for our elderly people…
Now our elderly people receive care service from people who work illicitly and can’t speak the language of our people, these service givers are told to be almost 20.000 in number. Unfortunately our people are not involved in this care service because we do not want to be a part of that job , which our government provides permission to work to the people doing this job illicitly in order to take this service under control. All of our citizens should bless this care giving business to our elderly people, who gave birth to us, and be a part of it; calls of our officials are very important to provide this service.
Inevitable things…
In fact this low quality providing care for elderly people business, which is provided by both our government and the private sector, should be reviewed. Even though public institutions in charge are trying to do new things, new decisions should be taken in order to accelerate these new things and raise the level to the ideal and put into practice. Many years ago Turkey used to be known as a tourism country, however nowadays unfortunately Turkey ranks below many tourism countries in the world and it goes down each passing day. It is possible to change this. Turkey may announce the year 2014 as elderly people tourism within the tourism policy, unfruitful beautiful holiday camps may be turned into ideal care places for elderly people with small changes, investors may be encouraged to invest in the places good for elderly people’s lives around Turkey, moreover enterprises, which have become actors in elderly people care in the world, may be invited to Turkey for new business opportunities.
Steps need to be taken…
Now it is time to take action in order to building new generation homes, villages, cities for elderly or retired people and hosting the world’s retired – elderly people for the government, universities and private sector. Training the personnel, who will be responsible for taking care of elderly people, in accordance with the countries and people to host and being able to send the youth to elderly people’s countries in sense of exporting work force, in other words forming our country’s voluntary tourism delegates should be fulfilled immediately with the cooperation of the universities and private sector.
Who possesses which role…
In elderly people tourism government institutions will be set up and they will conduct studies that will remove the obstacles. Universities will educate people and directors who will work in this field, satisfy their health needs and social lives, local administrations will conduct studies that will increase the standards of elderly people nursing services in their region, tourism investors will provide elderly care areas, which will satisfy a variety of care needs, tourism marketing experts will carry these services to the target countries or conversely the needs for elderly care in some countries will be determined and collaborations with investors will be made, our embassies and related attaché will plan the market studies aimed at elderly care, and for our national and international actors will meet the potentials in our country related to this field with the world.
Marketing of introduction is important…
Promotion materials, which take the needs of countries as reference, have fast updating ability and effect, in digital media should be preferred instead of ineffective and waste promotion materials such as brochure, catalog and poster. Besides, marketing focused activities should be arranged like business oriented travel organizations and the dynamics in other countries should be researched and determined. In order for these activities, which are supported by the Ministry of Economy, not to end up with useless travels and cause waste of resources, authorities should apply more selective rules.
Potential in elderly tourism…
Aging is accelerating all around the world; along with aging health and rehabilitation expenses and budgets that local administrations reserve for elderly care rise as well. This rise has reached a threatening level even in advanced countries and alternative solutions are sought in order to control the elderly care cost in these countries. Europe countries, petroleum countries, rich countries of Far East are the main countries that we should search for markets in.
1 elderly care tourist instead of 80 holiday tourists…
In a European country, the budget that the government provides for one person’s elderly care expenses, excluding disease expenditures, is between 500 and 500 €, meaning minimum 60.000 € a year. In case rehabilitation and treatment needs come along, these costs may double or triple. If our country hosts 1.000.000 people in one year, 60 billion € income may be generated. Besides, in case each patient spends from their income, this helps to generate 15 billion € income as well. To sum up, as our country is generating an income worth 35 billion € from 40 million tourists, in case 1.000.000 elderly care is made the income would double, making 70 billion €. According to this data, one elderly care tourist income equals to 80 holiday tourists.