Berlin is one of the hottest cities, especially for young people. Does the metropolis still need advertising? Yes, say CEO Burkhard Kieker and Medical Tourism Manager Michaela Kehrer of visitBerlin, e.g. Berlin marketing for specific target groups. Diplomatisches Magazin spoke to the two tourism experts about this and how tourism in Berlin is developing after the pandemic.
DM: How difficult is it to boost tourism in Berlin again after the Covid years?
visitBerlin: Guests have been coming back to Berlin since spring 2022. In summer and autumn we had the best restart alongside Lisbon, Barcelona and New York. We can see a clearly noticeable recovery in Berlin tourism, a kind of revenge tourism can be observed and shows us: the positive image of our city has survived Covid unscathed. Berlin continues to be perceived as a cosmopolitan city where something new is constantly developing.
DM: visitBerlin wants to further develop Berlin tourism and make it fit for the future. In what direction is further development necessary?
Burkhard Kieker: The focus is on urban compatibility and sustainability. Tourism can only develop sustainably in harmony with guests and residents, and we rely on quality tourism and citizen participation, for example. Together with the state of Berlin, we have created the prerequisites for this with the Tourism Concept 2018+. We are continuously developing this concept with our partners from politics and the tourism industry and implementing the individual measures and campaigns together.
DM: You promote Berlin worldwide. Are there any priority countries where you promote Berlin?
visitBerlin: With the changes and realignments in international tourism as the pandemic subsides, flexible reaction to current developments will continue to be the motto in 2023. The German market will definitely remain a focus. The European markets with the previous volume market UK and the highvisitor countries Netherlands, Spain and France are just as important as the US market, which is growing strongly again with further new direct flight connections in the coming year. In parallel, the market development of Asia (here with the focus on India, Korea, Vietnam), the Middle East (UAE and Saudi Arabia) and South America with the focus on Brazil will be continued.
DM: How should one imagine the practical implementation of the campaigns in the respective countries? Do you work together with local advertising agencies?
visitBerlin: We work closely with the foreign representatives of the German National Tourist Board in most markets. Campaigns are implemented budget-dependently via agencies according to the required tenders. These can come from Germany, but also from the source markets. The majority of international market development, however, takes place without campaign support.
DM: Berlin has also suffered as a convention destination. What strategies do you want to use to make Berlin attractive again as a congress city?
visitBerlin: Berlin has not lost its attractiveness as a congress location. Through the joint work of all players from the event industry, politics and administration, support offers have been created that are taking effect and thus the majority of Berlin’s typical and unique offers for events have been preserved. The environment has changed dramatically and our industry is facing complex challenges, which we as DMMO – Destination Marketing and Management Organisation – actively accompany and support. The “VUCA world” – volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity – contributes to the industry’s need to become even more flexible and resilient. That is why we have been working on solutions that are already bearing fruit. These include the expansion of the sustainability programme “Sustainable Meetings Berlin”, where we have enabled dozens of suppliers to undergo a free certification process. In the current Global Destination Sustainability Index, Berlin ranks fifth among metropolises worldwide.
We showcase the strengths of the destination at the “Bestival”, the MICE and Travel Festival, have launched the marketing campaign “Meet in the world of Berlin” and intensified the acquisition of new customers with the “Task Force MICE”. Our goal: to (re)win more events for Berlin.
DM: Berlin is also attractive for medical tourism. From which countries do people travel to Berlin to receive medical treatment?
visitBerlin: Until the start of the Ukraine war, Russia and Ukraine were among the strongest markets, followed by Saudi Arabia and European countries. The current geopolitical developments have of course led to shifts, the effects of which are difficult to assess at the moment, certainly European states such as Poland will gain in importance.
DM: How is visitBerlin trying to develop new target groups for medical tourism?
visitBerlin: visitBerlin has been promoting Berlin as a medical destination since 2010. The focus was initially on the Arabicspeaking Gulf region and the Russian-speaking countries of the former Soviet Union. With the launch of the medical tourism portal www.berlin-health-excellence.com in 2017, China was also integrated into the advertising measures with the Chinese-language version. The Berlin Medical Tourism Guide was translated into Chinese and used at local events with the Chinese travel industry. Posts about Berlin as a medical destination were placed on the social media platforms WeChat and Weibo. Due to travel restrictions in Corona times, the focus was on the neighbouring country of Poland, which according to a basic study promises great demand potential. The Polish-language version of the website, an online campaign and the presentation at the medical tourism trade fair Curatio in Gdansk with the cooperation partner Helios were among the most important marketing activities in 2022.
DM: Which medical fields are in particularly high demand?
visitBerlin: Berlin specialists are in demand in all fields, with a somewhat higher demand in the areas of oncology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, orthopaedics, neurosurgery and neurology. Patients with rare or complicated clinical pictures often request diagnosis/treatment. Berlin’s doctors are very good at applying their specialised expertise.
Interview Marie Wildermann