Asian, Scandinavian and Arab tourists regular visitors of Turkey's thermal springs

Turkey's thermal springs, renowned for their therapeutic qualities, draw hundreds of tourists each year from different parts of the world, notably from Scandinavia, the Arab world and East Asia.

In the central Anatolian province of Sivas, a thermal spring that is home to a special kind of fish is believed to aid in the treatment of psoriasis. The spring's fish are often called "physician fish" by the locals, and are very popular among Japanese tourists. "Psoriasis is a common disease in Japan, and they prefer Sivas's thermal springs for treatment," said Ömer Tontuş, the general director for health development at the Health Ministry, adding that the ministerial staff paid field visits to thermal springs to determine their tourism profile.

Scandinavians, including Norwegians and Swedes, constitute the second-largest number of visitors to thermal springs, mostly preferring those in the Aegean province of İzmir, specifically in the Balçova district. Tontuş said Swedish tourists also visit the thermal springs in the western province of Denizli.

According to Tontuş, the northwestern city of Bursa tops the list as the city that attracts the most foreign tourists to its thermal springs. "Tourists coming to visit thermal springs in Turkey prefer Bursa at first. Around 30 percent of them visit there. Among these individuals, 90 percent of them are Arab tourists," he said. The cities of Afyonkarahisar in the province of Afyon and Kütahya in Kütahya province are two other important spots for thermal tourism. "Afyonkarahisar and Kütahya draw tourists from Scandinavian, European and Arab countries," he added. Thermal spring tourism can be divided into two main parts. The first includes traveling to thermal springs for vacation and the second is for therapeutic treatment, which is specifically an underdeveloped aspect of the sector. "Physicians or alternative medicine centers recommend thermal springs to patients with rheumatism or psoriasis," he said. He added that physicians sometimes advise patients to sit in a thermal spring for 20 minutes or exercise in the springs as part of their prescribed treatment.