The number of Middle Eastern tourists flying to Germany for medical treatment and recuperating in luxury hotels is growing at more than six percent annually, the general manager of a Munich-based hotel has said.
Up to 80 percent of Middle Eastern guests staying at Rocco Forte’s three Germany hotels are receiving medical treatment, said Frank Heller of the Munich-based Charles Hotel.
“35 percent of my business is coming from the Middle East and this is during the entire year. A few years ago it was just the summer months and now it’s the whole year. Out of this 80 percent are coming for medical reasons,” he told Arabian Business.
“We have had parents coming to Munich for 20 years [for medical procedures] and now they are starting to send their children,” he added.
The medical tourism industry is growing at 20-30 percent annually and is expected to become a $100bn sector by the end of 2012. Residents from the UAE spend up to $2bn annually in healthcare travel.
Rocco Forte Hotels, owned by the British hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, has close ties with several renowned surgeons that specialise in diseases common in the Middle East such as diabetes, renal and coronary heart disease.
Villa Kennedy in Frankfurt works closely with Dr. Ulrich Mondorf, who specialises in treating diabetes, renal and coronary heart disease, while Berlin-based Hotel de Rome is home to a branch of the DRK Kliniken hospital.
The luxury operator has ramped up its services to cater to guests and recovering patients from the Middle East, said Heller. “We have a medical concierge who is working very closely with the hospitals. We have Arabic speaking employees, Arabic chefs and shisha.”
source: http://www.ArabianBusiness.com / Industries> Travel & Hospitality / by Claire Valdini / May 01st, 2012
