ITB Berlin NOW: new strategies for medical and wellness tourism

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the importance of physical and mental health has become particularly evident. With its Medical Tourism segment, the virtual edition of ITB Berlin NOW from March 9 to 12, 2021 once again examines a market that has high growth potential. In the Medical Tourism segment, healthcare providers such as hospitals and clinics, but also hotels and tour operators, will come together to introduce new medical tourism products and services. At the ITB Berlin NOW Convention, they will discuss how the coronavirus crisis has impacted the medical tourism market and offer a perspective for the future. In addition, the largest group of experts in the global travel industry will also analyze the latest trends and developments in the wellness market.

On Tuesday March 2021 at 12:30 p.m. M., Rika Jean-Francois, Commissioner for Corporate Social Responsibility, ITB Berlin Medical Tourism Directors and Thomas Bömkes, ITB Berlin Medical Tourism Advisor, Diversity Tourism GmbH, will officially open the Medical Tourism Café, kicking off a series of activities related to medical tourism at ITB Berlin NOW.

In the first event from 1 to 1:30 p.m., Katalonien Tourismus will make a presentation on 'Barcelona Medical Destination and Covid 19'. Esther Orriols, brand manager, Barcelona Medical Destination, Catalan Tourist Board, Dr. Marco Panichi, medical director of the Institute of Advanced Oncology, Atrys-IMOR, Dr. Antoni Arias, director of International Services, Sant Joan de Déu Hospital , Marta Fernández, head of Internationalization and project manager, barnaclinic +, will talk about the latest developments in medical tourism services in Barcelona.

Afterwards, all media representatives are cordially invited to the medical media meeting at the Medical Tourism Café from 1.30 pm to 2.30 pm, where they can speak with the medical tourism providers and buyers present.

In the Medical Tourism Café, experts and service providers can meet, network and exchange ideas on the latest topics. Daily buyer sessions will provide an ideal opportunity to do business in this market. In addition to the ITB Medical Meeting Corner, Evex hospitals with 19 Georgia hospitals will participate in their own Meeting Corner. Historic European spa towns and major European spas will also be represented with their own Networking Meeting Corner. ITB Health Tourism Industry (HTI) partner is creating a Medical Buyer Meeting Corner where buyers and suppliers can meet at various times. Representatives and providers from a wide range of healthcare markets will also be in attendance. This service is aimed in particular at medical tourism clients from Germany, Russia, China, Turkey, Croatia, Ukraine, Finland, Italy, Portugal, the United States, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Israel. A Meeting Corner with information on EU fundraising for medical tourism will complete the program. All event dates can be downloaded from the Medical Tourism page and are listed in the ITB Berlin NOW 2021 Medical Tourism program.

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the ITB Berlin NOW Convention will also dedicate time to the medical tourism market with debates, conferences and presentations. During the opening event, Istvan Ujhelyi, Member of the European Parliament, Vice President of the Transport and Tourism Committee and member of the Environment and Public Health Committee, and Zdravko Počivalšek, Deputy Prime Minister of Slovenia, Minister of Economic Development and Technology, will give the welcome attendees.

Subsequently, Nejc Jus, Director of Economic Research at the World Travel and Tourism Council, WTTC, will present the latest statistics on medical tourism. In an interview, Claudia Wagner, CEO of FIT Reisen, will explain the current debate around services for vaccinated travelers and holders of vaccination certificates.

At the HTI roundtable that will follow, along with Leila Krešić-Jurić, Managing Director of HTI Partner Ltd., panel members Christian Fadi El-Khouri, Managing Partner of MESC International Patient Service, Germany, Sherif Hassan, CEO and Founder from Tripsetc Travel Company, USA, Ivana Kolar, CEO Julius Rose, Croatia and Slovenia and Sandeep Vohra, CEO of Technology Investments, Roseview Investment & Advisors, UAE, will discuss the latest trends and developments in medical tourism.

At a conference Tom Dedek, EU fundraiser at Diversity Tourism GmbH, will provide an overview of how medical tourism providers can benefit from the specific EU coronavirus development programs currently on offer.

New ideas for recovering from the crisis

In order to alleviate the side effects that patients experience after a coronavirus infection, many providers have developed new treatment concepts for medical spas and health centers. In a round of discussion with University Professor Dr. Friedhart Raschke, Staatsbad Norderney GmbH, Claude-Eugene Bouvier, Secretary General of the Conseil National des Etablissements Thermaux (CNET), France and Mike Wallace, Medical Spa & Wellness expert, and Csilla Mezösi , Secretary General of the European Spas Association (ESPA), will present some new ideas for rehabilitation programs.

Dr Anna Białk-Wolf from the Medical Tourism Research and Development Institute, Poland, will make the case for a new approach to medical tourism that takes into account innovative technologies and safety requirements.

To round off the events of the day, there will be the first presentation of the ITB Medical Tourism Award, promoted by HTI, which is awarded to a provider or destination for their active and outstanding commitment to the development of medical tourism. This year's jury made up of partners from HTI, ESPA and ITB Berlin will announce the award winner live.

Wellness Tourism - Expert Forum Wellness Event Provides Global Market Overview

On Friday, March 12, 2021, which will take place this year at the ITB Berlin NOW Convention in what will be the 16th event of the ITB Experts Forum Wellness, participants will be able to delve into the world of wellness. Diana Sicher-Fritsch, owner of the Mental-Spa Resort Fritsch in Austria, will explain how mental well-being can benefit well-being. Subsequently, in three opening speeches, the experts will provide a current overview of the tourism situation in wellness destinations around the world and will give their forecasts for the future of the wellness market in the coming months and in the face of the pandemic of ongoing coronavirus. Dr. Làszló Puczkó, CEO and co-founder of Health Tourism Worldwide, will examine the European market. Elaine Okeke-Martin, President of the Africa Spa and Wellness Association,

Dr. Asoka Hettigoda, Managing Partner of Siddhalepa Ayurveda Resorts & Spas, will explain how Ayurvedic therapy can boost business after Covid-19. In a panel discussion, Michael Altewischer, managing partner of Wellness-Hotels & Resorts, Roland Fricke, managing partner of beauty24, and Wibke Metzger, press officer of Wellness-Hotels & Resorts, will reveal the wellness trends of 2021 in the countries German-speaking. Markets. Ingo Schweder, CEO and Co-Founder of GOCO Hospitality, will highlight how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted developments in wellness real estate.

Full details of the NOW ITB Berlin Convention program and individual sessions on medical tourism and wellness can be downloaded here. Additional information on ITB Berlin NOW registration and tickets can be found here.