Medical Tourism at ITB Berlin

ITB Berlin 2017 will be fully devoting a platform to medical tourism - a fast- growing market

Medical service providers, hotels and destinations will be able to exhibit their products and services In the pavilion. Medical tourism has been increasing for years. Some value the better quality of the medical infrastructure in certain countries and undergo measures that cannot legally be offered at home, such as fertility treatment for those who want children.

According to a new report by VISA and Oxford Economics, the current turnover of the world's medical tourism industry is around 439 billion dollars. Over the next 10 years' overall growth is forecast to reach up to 25 per cent.

According to David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, medical tourism offers huge prospects for the global tourism industry: “Over the next 10 years, three to four per cent of the world's population will undertake trips motivated by offers of medical treatment. ITB Berlin aims to highlight this growth market and all its aspects and provide buyers and providers with a new platform. “

Thomas Bömkes, Diversity Tourism GmbH, the agency partnering with Medical Tourism at ITB, says, “The introduction of Medical Tourism at ITB Berlin will make it possible for everyone involved in medical tourism – hospitals, health insurances and healthcare professionals – to meet directly and exchange views.”

ITB Berlin 2017 will take place from March 8 to 12. It is the global travel industry's leading trade show. In 2016, over 10,000 companies and organisations from 187 countries exhibited their products and services to 180,000 visitors, who included 120,000 trade visitors.