Istanbul, December 23 – Istanbul is rapidly solidifying its position as a global leader in medical congress tourism, with projections indicating a record-breaking year in 2026. The city is set to host 25,000 medical congress tourists, who are expected to contribute over $100 million to the local economy. This significant achievement is the result of strategic collaborations between the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and the Istanbul Convention & Visitors Bureau (ICVB).
Istanbul’s Strategic Vision: A Hub for Medical Congresses
Şekib Avdagiç, President of both ITO and ICVB, emphasized the prestige associated with attracting medical congresses. “As ICVB, we are Istanbul’s ‘congress tourist lobbyist’. Winning medical congresses for a city is an activity considered highly prestigious worldwide. Through our stakeholder collaborations, Istanbul has guaranteed over $100 million in revenue with 25,000 medical congress tourists in 2026,” Avdagiç stated.
According to an announcement from ITO, Istanbul is gaining significant momentum in the global congress market, distinguishing itself not only in health tourism but also through medical congresses. The year 2026 is anticipated to bring a record number of large-scale international medical congresses to the city.
The collaborative efforts of ICVB and its stakeholders have secured 25,000 medical congress tourists, and the total number of congress tourists expected to visit Istanbul in 2026, including other congresses, is projected to surpass the 2024 figure of 48,000. These upcoming medical congresses in 2026 will further enhance Istanbul’s capacity to attract even larger organizations in the future, particularly in the fields of medicine and health sciences.
High-Value Tourism: Congress Tourists’ Spending Habits
Avdagiç highlighted the economic impact of these high-profile visitors. “Medical congresses represent the highest segment of congress tourism. The 25,000 high-level participants coming in 2026 will contribute over $100 million to the local economy,” he explained. He humorously added, referencing a popular Turkish comedian, “Istanbul will answer Cem Yılmaz’s memorable line ‘Doctor, what is this?’ in 2026 with: Doctor, this is Istanbul.”
Avdagiç pointed out that congress tourists spend 3-4 times more than traditional leisure tourists, with per capita expenditures reaching up to $4,000. He emphasized that these congresses are transforming Istanbul into a growing center not only for tourism but also for the knowledge economy, academic production, R&D ecosystem, and international business networks. “The approximately 25,000 high-level participants who will visit our city in 2026 will directly strengthen Istanbul’s brand value and create a sustainable competitive advantage in the congress sector. The admiration congress tourists feel for Turkey and Istanbul also serves as a starting point for them to share this experience with their families and friends and return again. This clearly demonstrates the high added value of congress tourism,” Avdagiç elaborated.
Istanbul’s Global Role: Enhancing Reputation and Strategic Position
ICVB President Şekib Avdagiç underscored Istanbul’s rise as a multi-layered brand city that has established its own league on the global stage. He continued, “We cannot view the large-scale international congresses we have secured for 2026 merely as individual organizations. These are high-impact investments that strengthen Istanbul’s global reputation and strategic position. Each congress makes our city’s global role in science, innovation, health, technology, and trade more visible. Our primary goal is to further expand Istanbul’s unique brand power in global markets and make our city one of the world’s most preferred meeting destinations.”
Major Medical Congresses Scheduled for Istanbul in 2026
The ITO announcement also recalled that Istanbul was ranked 8th in the
