International Thermal Health Tourism Forum 2024, Bringing Together All Parties of the Health Tourism Sector, Starts

The first day of the International Thermal Health Tourism Forum 2024, which aims to increase the knowledge of theory and practice with international and national invited speakers who are experts in their fields and pioneers in the sector, as well as to share current and successful application examples from different angles, to provide an environment that will produce innovative and sustainable solutions to the problems of the sector and to create a comprehensive platform for sectoral collaborations, started with a visit to Pamukkale University Thermal Rehabilitation Center (PAUTERM). During the visit, where national and international invited speakers were accompanied by the forum's organizing committee, Prof. Dr. Füsun Ardıç, Head of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at PAU Faculty of Medicine, gave a comprehensive introduction to the services provided at PAUTERM.

On the second day of the forum, the opening program held at Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Nihat Zeybekci Congress and Cultural Center was held with the participation of Denizli AK Party National Deputy Nilgün Ök, Denizli Governor Ömer Faruk Coşkun, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Osman Zolan, Pamukkale University Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan, provincial protocol members, deans, academicians and students.

Rector Kutluhan: "Pamukkale University Thermal Rehabilitation Center is ready to serve humanity."

Speaking at the opening program of the International Thermal Health Tourism Forum 2024, Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kutluhan stated the following: "First of all, I would like to inform you that we are very happy with the excitement of making an appearance today and that you have accepted our invitation. As you know, archaeological excavations have revealed that in the ancient city of Hierapolis, the best treatment was done with thermal waters and patients came from far, far away for these treatments. As a university, we not only carry out these archaeological excavations, but also in journals with high international indexes, the ways in which the thermal waters of the region have therapeutic properties have been revealed by the physical medicine and rehabilitation faculty members of our university and have been cited in nearly one hundred and fifty international studies, and have also contributed to Meta Analysis Studies on these issues. In other words, the thermal waters of our region have been scientifically proven to be effective on Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis. As a result, we are waiting for history to repeat itself and for patients from around the world to come here again. What is our difference from the past? Why should patients prefer us today? To these questions, yes, we do not know what was used besides thermal water that day, but we think that we will make a great contribution to the rehabilitation and treatment of our patients today with both thermal water and the latest technologically developed devices of today's medicine. Because our Pamukkale University Thermal Rehabilitation Center; It will serve with professors who are experts in the fields of Robotic Neurological, Vestibular, Urological, Orthopedic and Oncological Rehabilitation. Our Pamukkale University Thermal Rehabilitation Center is ready to serve humanity. In addition to therapeutic thermal rehabilitation, we will also provide health services in the field of Cosmetology, which we can call 'Traditional Complementary Medicine and Dermatological Rehabilitation', within the same facility to support healthy living. Whether it is Cosmetology or Traditional Complementary Medicine, it has unfortunately created a niche for itself in non-expert hands and unsuitable venues in our country, as in many countries. At this point, instead of short-term certification, these trainings will be given alongside the service, with long-term training and under the supervision of physicians who know human health best. This will be a very important source of pride for our Denizli, our university and our country years later. Finally, I would like to thank our very valuable Mayor of Denizli Metropolitan Municipality, who made the biggest contribution to the organization of this forum, and the university and metropolitan members who contributed to the preparation of the forum. I hope that our International Thermal Health Tourism forum will bring goodness to all humanity, especially our university and our city, and I offer my respects.”