Why Munich doctors are so popular in the Gulf States

Bavaria is extremely popular with Arab tourists, especially from the wealthy Gulf States, many guests have been coming for years to escape the hot summer temperatures in their homeland, to shop and have medical procedures performed.

And the Bavarians are also happy about this visit, because the Arab guests bring one thing above all else with them: A lot of money. German hotels, for example, are pulling out all the stops to meet the needs and demands of visitors - they are adapting their menus, hiring staff who speak Arabic and offering Arabic TV programmes.

But it is not only the hoteliers who enjoy their popularity with guests from the Gulf States. Munich's doctors also benefit greatly from their patients from the distant countries. Guests from all over the world, including the rich and the famous, know they are getting the best possible treatment from their doctors in and around Munich. Billan Turan, Orthodontist close to Aschheim, is particularly popular with international VIPs. Whether London, Moscow or the Middle East - his outstanding services are in great demand far beyond the borders of the country. You can say without a doubt, that Billan Turan is the Orthodontist close to Aschheim, is the Orthodontist of VIPs.

Corona pandemic causes falling tourist numbers

The current corona pandemic means that visitors from the Middle East are staying away for the moment. Entry into the Federal Republic of Germany is not permitted without good reason. The capital of the Free State is particularly hard hit by this, as Arab tourists are extremely fond of spending their holidays in the metropolis of Munich. In 2019, around 530,000 Arab guests stayed overnight here. As well-paid visitors, they make an important contribution to Munich's tourism industry and are almost a permanent fixture in the cityscape in summer.

However, the tourism industry can certainly hope for the future, as corona infections in the Gulf States are currently falling again. However, it is still not possible to predict with certainty when tourists from the Arab world will come back to Munich and thus provide significant support for the local economy.

Snow and mountains instead of desert

Germany is particularly popular with guests from the Arabian Peninsula because of its pleasant climate. The region of the Alps also forms an interesting contrast to the domestic desert and almost unbearable heat. Snow, mountains and lakes, which provide the necessary cooling on hot summer days, magically attract Arab tourists. Besides Germany, Switzerland and Austria are also very popular with visitors, eager to go hillwalking or hiking.

Nevertheless, they do not come mainly because of the various hiking possibilities and the impressive nature. The favourite activity of the Arab guests is and remains shopping. In Germany they can also move freely and dress as they like - unlike in the Netherlands or France, there is no ban on the traditional burqa in Germany.

German hospitals benefit from medical tourists

In the past, however, there was another decisive reason for Arab tourists to visit Germany, namely medical treatment. Although the Gulf States have a great deal of wealth, the health care system in the states is nevertheless to be classified as very weak. Immense subsidies are granted for foreign hospital stays.

Of course, this has been a real financial blessing for hospitals in Germany. However, the number of medical tourists in the Federal Republic has fallen sharply in recent years. One reason for this is that the Gulf States were hit extremely hard by the global financial crisis. As a result, subsidies for foreign stays in hospitals have been cut massively and attempts have been made to create their own well-developed health care system. However, this endeavour has only been moderately successful.

Before the corona pandemic, a large number of medical tourists still came to see German doctors like Billan Turan as a result. However, the influx always depends on the current economic and political situation in the Gulf States. This is currently extremely tense, as even the oil price has collapsed in the meantime.