Last week I attended the 3rd ALZ Berlin Fair held in Berlin. Business on one hand, discovery on the other, and plenty of good food along the way... I can say it was packed with value for the sector, and Germany's lovely spring weather helped clear our heads too.
Berlin truly gave us a wonderful welcome this year. The weather was gorgeous — sunny, but not the scorching kind. Outside the fair, we wandered the streets whenever we found the chance and soaked up Berlin's historic character. Between the Brandenburg Gate, the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie, we even squeezed in a mini city tour.
And yes... We ate. A lot. We couldn't resist the heavy hitters of German cuisine. Schnitzels, bratwursts, pretzels... Thankfully, walking turns out to be a very calorie-burning activity! 😄
How Did the Fair Go?
The first day of the fair opened with keynote speeches. On stage were ALZ Fuarcılık Chairman of the Board Cihat Alagöz, Ministry of Trade Head of the Health and Travel Department Tarık Aksoy, USHAŞ General Manager Behlül Ünver, and TÜRSAB Board Member Elif Ural. Each of them beautifully summarized, from their own perspective, where health tourism stands today, its future, and how valuable international cooperation is.
The first day was mostly spent on B2C meetings. In other words, we met prospective patients one-on-one, answered their questions, and explained our solutions. On the second day, we switched to B2B mode. We held more strategic meetings with clinics, institutions, and representatives.
We didn't sit idle, of course. We had highly productive meetings with both Tarık Aksoy and Behlül Ünver. We had the chance to meet many different brands and players in the sector and exchange ideas. Some meetings even reached the "we absolutely must continue this over coffee" stage.
The German Market Is on Another Level
As someone who knows the UK market closely, I can say that the German market is a completely different structure. Things here are a bit more "corporate." Accreditation, insurance, quality standards, and branding are far more prominent. Everything is systematic; everything has its counterpart. So health brands that want to expand into Germany need to embrace these sensitivities from the start.
In Berlin, I had the chance to observe this reality once again in the field, first-hand. That is why the fair was both a promotional and a learning space for us.
Surprises Are on the Way!
We didn't limit ourselves to the fair, of course... Would we sit still while in Berlin? Together with our partner M2.HTC, we scouted locations for the shared offices we plan to open in Berlin. We discovered some wonderful spots. We will be back with a nice surprise on this front soon.
We are also entering a brand-new era in conventional advertising spaces in Germany! During our time in Berlin, we signed the agreements for these collaborations. Our ads will start running on approximately 450 kiosk screens across Germany. And we didn't stop there — billboards, airports, digital screens, magazines... These are now our playground!
In addition, we held important meetings about the process of accrediting health tourism companies in Germany. We have started taking steps in this area as well, so that Turkey is represented more strongly.
We returned from Berlin with our energy recharged. With great connections, solid collaborations, and brand-new opportunities.
In this interview with USHAŞ General Manager Behlül Ünver, held at the ALZ Health Fair in Berlin, we discussed Turkey's vision in health tourism and its rising global role.
🔹 The impact of the new regulations on the sector
🔹 The international strength of the Health Türkiye brand
🔹 Why quality and patient satisfaction have become a priority, how Turkey aims for sustainable success in health tourism, and the answers to many more questions.
We are shaping the future of health tourism together
Stay tuned. More is on the way! 🚀
