Sophia Quint visitBerlinMedical Travel Today (MTT): How long has visitBerlin been promoting Berlin as a medical travel destination?Sophia Quint (SQ): It’s relatively new. We started in earnest three years ago. That said, we did try it maybe 10 years earlier but stopped that effort when we realized our clinics weren’t actually ready for international patients. Only a few clinics had international departments, staff or infrastructure, including VIP clinics that could organize visas, etc. It was something we continued to track and monitor, and then three years ago we came to realize that the market was ready and Berlin was ready. We saw that clinics were putting a big focus on the international patient, and the numbers of incoming patients was growing very fast. So we built up a network that included the clinics, hotels, transportation companies so that we had a chain of providers. If a patient asks someone at the hotel the location of the clinic, they will know not only tell them but also arrange transportation. We wanted the hotels and clinics to be connected and work in collaboration to create special offers and packages. MTT: How did you go about building that chain?SQ: It was actually very easy. At visitBerlin, we already had a network of hotels in place. In fact, one of our shareholders is a corporation of hotels. We held networking meetings and explained how a network might operate. Then we held workshops to develop the right products and packages. Basically, visitBerlin acted as a facilitator for discussion between the various players so that they could shape the best offering for the patient based on what they had to offer collectively. We learned a lot through that effort. For example, the German Heart Institute was actually already receiving 10 percent of its patients from abroad. It’s just that they didn’t talk about it. Now they, and we, are able to discuss it with the inclusion of hotels and travel. MTT: How has the network benefitted visitBerlin?SQ: It’s a big help for me because now I have concrete partners to reference in conversations. I have a heart partner, an oncology partner, and so on. Also, when I go to medical travel meetings and conferences I can say that getting care in Berlin is not just an idea, but there’s a real program in place. The same is true for the German National Tourism Board, which does a lot of workshops worldwide. Their conversations with the press and different travel agents are now much more meaningful. MTT: And how has the effort played or paid out?SQ: It’s always hard to say what contributes to the growth of success of something like this. But I can tell you that between 2007 and 2010 we saw a 40 percent increase in the number of medical travelers coming to Berlin. On one hand, the market developed as a result of our partners being fully established with the infrastructure needed to serve the market. On the other hand there’s no doubt that promotion and communication have helped to make us more popular. In terms of what it’s done for Berlin in general, it’s been beneficial and will continue to be so. The average tourist to Berlin stays about 2.3 days. But the medical traveler, who often comes with family or friends, stays an average of 10 days. That’s about eight more days of lodging and meals that an average person consumes a day. MTT: From where is the bulk of the patients coming, and what kind of treatment are they seeking?SQ: The biggest source of patients is the Russian-speaking market with a growing base of Middle Eastern patients right behind. The Middle East market is growing very quickly for both medical travel and general tourism. In fact compared to a year ago, tourism from Arabic countries is up 50 percent. In the past that market would think, “Oh Germany, that’s Munich.” Now they appreciate that Berlin is a desirable destination, too. In fact, it’s the new place to be in Germany. As for treatment, my partners tell me that care is most often sought for severe issues such as heart disease and cancer. And let me be clear: We are not cheap when it comes to cost of care. The choice is made more about the quality. The patients arriving have choices, and they have confidence in the quality of care we provide. MTT: Do you have any new marketing initiatives in the works?SQ: We are looking at ways to promote medical travel that goes beyond just talking about our partners. What we do at ITB Berlin, the expert Panel and the Health Tourism Battle are good strategies for developing quality discussions that aren’t just advertising. I think we will pursue more of that. We are also looking to focus more on wellness and prevention rather than just the severe care situations. Prevention is a good way to help control future healthcare costs for individuals and the country. But we need to find a way to get people to look at prevention as a necessity, to see the value in going to the doctor when they are well as much as when they are unwell. That is a challenge. But so was medical travel so we’ll see! About Sophia Quint Sophia Quint joined visitBerlin (Berlin Tourismus & Kongress GmbH) in January 2006 and has been promoting the city of Berlin ever since. In 2010 she assumed responsibilities for international media relations and now heads the Health Tourism division of visitBerlin.
