Tourism and healthcare in Grisons and other cantons should seriously address engagement in health tourism. Experts came to this conclusion at the first-ever “Health & Tourism” conference in Pontresina on Monday. There is now a need for specific projects for hotels, clinics, communities or entire valleys — and a suitable marketing strategy.
The hotel and healthcare industry in Grisons and other parts of the Swiss mountain region can benefit sustainably from health tourism. Experts expressed this view at the “Health & Tourism” conference in Pontresina on Monday.
Health tourism offers an opportunity to appeal to new segments of guests. Existing and newly created businesses could be utilized better all year round, as demand for health tourism offers is less influenced by seasonality than traditional holiday and weekend offers.
The excellent reputation of Swiss medicine and the hotel industry is considered a decisive advantage when launching offers in international health tourism. Experts distinguish between primarily preventive and health-preserving measures and medically related treatments.
Of the medical specialties, oncology, orthopedics, cardiology, urology and psychosomatics are identified as areas with great potential. There is also a wide range of rehabilitation programs. The sale of these medical services requires completely different marketing than traditional tourism.
The side of preventive measures in particular benefits from steadily growing health awareness among the population. Medical check-ups, training programs and healthy eating are just as much a part of this as stress relief or elements from well-known wellness offers. This large part of health tourism is close to traditional tourism and could be built up in many places as a supplement to existing offers. The breadth of the topic creates space for programs of all sizes and different types of providers.
However, the experts agreed that guest needs must be at the heart of every offer design. This is the only way to attract guests outside the short peak seasons and also convert the added value offered into money.
The Canton of Grisons sees an opportunity for growth in health tourism, which it is also prepared to promote, stressed Councillor Jon Domenic Parolini at the conference. “However, entrepreneurs in the canton are now called upon first.” Other regions are more active in the area today, but there are already some good offers in Grisons as well.
“Health tourism can be important for Graubünden,” underlined the Graubünden Director of Economics at the end of the conference. Further specific projects, which are suitable for implementation in individual companies, municipalities or valleys, are now in demand.
Around 120 trade visitors and speakers from several cantons and Germany traveled to Pontresina for the first “Health & Tourism” conference on Monday to find out about the opportunities and requirements of health tourism. Experts from medicine, clinic marketing, hotels and tourism presented markets and fields of treatment and outlined business models and requirements for service providers.
About the conference
The “Health & Tourism” conference is a private initiative for Grisons and took place for the first time on Monday in Pontresina. It was supported by a number of companies and institutions from Grisons. The initiator and leader of the conference is St. Moritz management consultant Christian Gartmann.
Download pictures of the conference
www.fotoswiss.com/-/galleries/media-pools/conference-health-tourism-Pontresina-7-sept
Password: gt-15
Contact “Health & Tourism” Conference
Christian Gartmann, initiator
+41 79 355 78 78
christian@gartmann.biz