Dear esteemed guests,

Health tourism has an important place in the economy as the world witnesses the increase of welfare level, development of tourism opportunities and increasing of elderly population at the same time. One of the reflections on the importance of health has been the use of hot springs for healing since ancient times.

Balıkesir's hot springs have been used for health purposes since antiquity, and Balıkesir announces its name as a health tourism destination, a unique one as well since the hot springs spread all over the province. In every district of Balıkesir, which is the size of a small European country itself, there are thermal sources and facilities of various sizes are active all around. 8 regions with a total area of 30000 hectares have been declared as thermal tourism centers.

Balıkesir's thermal resources are among the top quality in our country in terms of their physical and chemical composition. Hot waters are high in mineral values, rich in sulphur radon and salt. Our hot springs are also good fit for bathing and drinking cures.

Balıkesir health tourism industry takes its power not only from its hot springs, but also from its unique nature. It has various climate zones, shores to both Marmara and Aegean Seas -291 km long shores with 23 blue flagged beaches-, clean air with advanced geriatric facilities around Mount Ida, 4 nature parks calling for sports and healthy lifestyle, and a cuisine supported by olive oils which have geographical indication certification. This potential, blended with the strength of 90 degrees celsius of chemically rich thermal waters, elevates Balıkesir for a bid to become the thermal capital of Southern Europe in the coming years.

Balıkesir carries the heritage of Ancient Greece, Rome and Ottoman Empire, and it is an advanced tourism destination combining cultural treasures with modern facilities. Balıkesir has 3 million overnight stays in more than 1000 tourism facilities, and stands out with its convenient location. In addition to the airport where international flights are carried out, it is only 2 hours away from Istanbul with highways or ferries.

As public and private institutions of Balıkesir, we work hard for the further development of thermal tourism centers for our guests, offering this huge potential to the service of humanity, improving the service quality in our existing facilities and providing support to our potential investors.

We are honored for the opportunity to present this beautiful region and its health tourism destinations to our esteemed guests at the 4th International Thermal and Health Summit held in Balıkesir in 2019 and we are looking forward to hosting guests from all corners of the world. 

Ersin YAZICI

Governor of Balıkesir