The Use of Instagram as a Public Relations Tool in Health Tourism: An Analysis on “Health Tourism Turkey” Hashtag

The Use of Instagram as a Public Relations Tool in Health Tourism: An Analysis on “Health Tourism Turkey” Hashtag

While new communication tools take their place among the tools used for public relations and publicity, social networks are especially notable among these tools. Today, social networks have become a source of information for many people. On the other hand, health tourism, which means traveling to a different country for access to health services, is also increasing. Therefore, people need information in order to find solutions to their health problems. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of social networks in health tourism through Instagram. In order to access to the related shares to health tourism in Turkey “#healthtourismturkey” hashtag has been selected. All shares published with this hashtag in 2018 are included in the study. The total number of shares is 534. The results show that the share of health tourism in Instagram, which can be seen as a public relations and publicity tool, has increased in the second half -as of June/July- of 2018. The results also indicated that the most share in health tourism was made in the category of “medical tourism”, most of the share is about “dental health”, and the most share is made by “health tourism service providers-agencies” and “private clinics”.

___

  • Akar, D. (2018). Filmlerin Tanıtımında Halkla İlişkiler Aracı Olarak Instagram Kullanımı: Ayla Filmi Örneği, Akdeniz İletişim Dergisi, 29: 95-109.
  • Alikılıç, Ö.A. (2011). Halkla İlişkiler 2.0: Sosyal Medyada Yeni Paydaşlar, Yeni Teknikler, Efil Yayınevi, Ankara.
  • Atkinson, N.L., Saperstein, S.L. and Pleis, J. (2009). Using The Internet for Health-Related Activities: Findings From a National Probability Sample, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 11(1):e4 Published Online 2009 Feb 20.
  • Bhaskaran, N., Kumar, M. and Janodia, M.D. (2017). Use of Social Media for Seeking Health Related An Exploratory Study, J Young Pharm, 9(2): 267-271.
  • Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E.K., Akgün, Ö.E., Karadeniz, Ş. ve Demirel, F. (2016). Bilimsel Araştırma Yöntemleri. (Twentieth Edition). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
  • Connell, J. (2006). Medical tourism: Sea, sun sand and … surgery, Tourism Management, 27 (2006): 1093-1100.
  • DiStaso, M.W. and McCorkindale, T. (2012). Social Media: Uses and Opportunities in Public Relations, Global Media Journal-Canadian Edition, 5(2): 75-82.
  • Hopkins, L., Labonté, R., Runnels, V. and Packer, C. (2010). Medical tourism today: What is the state of existing knowledge?, Journal of Public Health Policy, 31(2): 185-198.
  • Ifigeneia M. and Dimitrios, A. (2017). Globalization, Social Media and Public Relations: A Necessary Relationship for the Future?, The Economies Of Balkan and Eastern Europe Countries (EBEEC2017), Conference Paper, Piraeus-Athens, Greece.
  • İştar, E. (2016). Health Tourism In Turkey: A Study on Newspapers, International Journal of Health Management and Strategies Research, 1(3): 26-35.
  • John, S., Larke, R. and Kilgour, M. (2018). Applications of social media for medical tourism marketing: an empirical analysis, Anatolia, 29(4): 553-565.
  • Kaplan, A.M. and Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media, Business Horizons, 53: 59-68.
  • Kaya, S., Yıldırım, H.H., Karsavuran, S. and Özer, Ö. (2013). Evaluation Report on Medical Tourism in Turkey 2013, Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health Director General of Health Services Department of Health Tourism, Retrieved 12.01.2019 https://saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/468,evaluaton-report-on-medical-tourism-in-turkey-2013pdf.pdf?0
  • Kelley, E. – WHO/Patient Safety (2013). Medical Tourism. Retrieved 10.01.2019 https://www.who.int/global_health_histories/seminars/kelley_presentation_medical_tourism.pdf
  • Kent, M.L. and Taylor, M. (2014). Social Media in Public Relations: Reflections on Extending and Narrowing Relationships, Proceedings of the 7th International Forum on Public Relations and Advertising, 13-15 August, Bangkok, Thailand. p. 11-18.
  • Kördeve, M.M. (2016). Sağlık Turizmine Genel Bir Bakış ve Türkiye’nin Sağlık Turizmindeki Yeri, International Journal of Health Management and Strategies Research, 2(1): 51-61.
  • Li, Y., Wang, X., Lin, X. and Hajli, M. (2016). Seeking and sharing health information on social media: A net valence model and cross-cultural comparison, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 126, Jan, 28-40.
  • Öksüz, B. and Altıntaş, V. (2017). Sağlık Turizminde Dijital İletişim Kanallarının Kullanımı, Seyahat ve Otel İşletmeciliği Dergisi, 14(1): 59-75.
  • Peltekoğlu, F.B. (2018). Halkla İlişkiler Nedir? (Tenth Edition), Beta, İstanbul.
  • PRCA Digital PR and Communications Report 2018 (2018). Retrieved 14.01.2019 https://www.prca.org.uk/sites/default/files/PRCA%20Digital%20PR%20Report%202018%20-Web.pdf
  • Sağlık Turizmi Hakkında: Türkiye’de Sağlık Turizmi (2019). Retrieved 10.01.2019, https://saglikturizmi.saglik.gov.tr/TR,175/saglik-turizmi-hakkinda.html
  • Sağlık Turizmi Nedir? (What is Health Tourism?) (2019). Retrieved 09.01.2019 http://www.saturk.gov.tr/images/pdf/tyst/02.pdf
  • Sağlık Turizminde Tanıtım ve Markalaşma (Promotion and Branding in Health Tourism) (2019). Retrieved 09.01.2019 http://www.saturk.gov.tr/images/pdf/tyst/10.pdf
  • Shaw, R.J. and Johnson, C.M. (2011). Health Information Seeking and Social Media Use on the Internet among People with Diabetes, Online Journal of Public Health Informatics, 3(1): 1-9.
  • Smith, M. and Puczko, L. (2014). Health, Tourism and Hospitality (Second Edition), Routledge, London & New York.
  • Thackeray, R., Crookston, B. and West, J.H. (2013). Correlates of Health-Related Social Media Use Among Adults, Journal of Medical Internet Research, 15(1):e21 Published Online 2013 Jan 30.
  • Toprak, L., Elsaied, H.H. and Mahmood, S.A. (2013). Turizmin Yükselen Trendi: Sağlık Turizmi ve Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi Örneği, Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, Cilt: 13, Sayı: 50: 38-57.
  • Turofed Tourism Report-Turkish Hoteliers Federation (2017), Retrieved 10.01.2019 http://www.tourismtoday.net/d/file/turofed-turizm-raporu-2017.pdf
  • Türkiye’nin Sağlık Turizmindeki Önemi (Importance of Turkey in Health Tourism) (2019). Retrieved 09.01.2019 http://www.saturk.gov.tr/images/pdf/tyst/06.pdf
  • Types of Health Tourism (2019). Retrieved 10.01.2019 https://saglikturizmi.saglik.gov.tr/EN,24500/types-of-health-tourism.html
  • Wimmer, R.D. and Dominick, J.R. (2007). İçerik Çözümlemesi, (Eds. G.Ş. Atabek & Ü. Atabek), In Medya Metinlerini Çözümlemek, Siyasal Kitabevi, Ankara, 19-47.
  • Yeniçıktı, N.T. (2016). Halkla İlişkiler Aracı Olarak Instagram: Sosyal Medya Kullanan 50 Şirket Üzerine Bir Araştırma, Selçuk İletişim, 9(2): 92-115.
  • Yıldırım, G. (2018). Halkla İlişkilerde Geleneksel Medyada Haber Üretiminden Dijital Medyada İçerik Üretimine: Capital Dergisi-2015 En Beğenilen 20 Şirket Üzerine Instagramda Bir İçerik Analizi, Global Media Journal TR Edition, Spring 8 (16): 256-286.
  • Zhao, Y. and Zhang, J. (2017). Consumer health information seeking in social media: a literature review, Health Information & Libraries Journal, 34(4): 268-283.