The international Arabian Travel Market was held in Dubai on 22-25 April. The largest tourism event of this kind in the Arabian market, it attracts more than 3,000 participants and exhibitors.

The stand presenting the tourist offer of Poland also included a 15-m2 booth promoting medical services, as part of the 3.3.2 sub-measure “Promotion of economy based on Polish brand products – Polish Economy Brand” Smart Growth Operational Programme.

Two exhibitors displayed their offer at the informational-promotional stand: Polmedica Medical Tourism Cluster and Polandic. All interested visitors to the Polish national booth could learn from an experienced expert about the range of medical services available in Poland. Free promo materials, such as brochures and catalogues of Polish companies operating in the healthcare sector and interested in launching their offer onto the Arabian market, were also available for all guests. In addition, the visitors could explore the proposals of health resorts and medical services in Kołobrzeg, Iwonicz-Zdrój, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Muszyna, Sopot, European Health Centre Otwock, Augustów Medical SPA, Carolina Medical Center, Krynica-Zdrój as well as the Klimek Spa, Arłamów hotel, Palace on the Water and Pestkownica resorts. The stand was immensely popular among tour operators, agents interested in sending patients to Poland, and individual guests. The most frequently asked questions concerned details of rehabilitation and health resort treatments, with the offer of Polish sanatoria and spa & wellness resorts most sought-after.

On the second day of the trade show, the Polish stand was visited by Robert Rostek, Poland’s Ambassador to United Arab Emirates, and Moneer Faour, head of the Foreign Trade Office in Dubai. Discussions covered the perspectives of further joint efforts that would contribute to supporting and propagating tourism, especially of the medical kind, in United Arab Emirates.

Over the following days, the list of eminent guests that POT’s stand had the pleasure to host also included Dr Yousif Eisa Hassan Eisa Al Sabri, Ambassador of United Arab Emirates to Poland, and Fadlallah Zayat, general manager of Sheraton Warsaw Hotel.

 An additional highlight of the pavilion section focused on medical tourism involved the highly engaging presentation by Magdalena Rutkowska, an expert on healthcare services in Poland. The meeting met with great interest of its audience and constituted an excellent opportunity to continue talks about the wide-ranging portfolio of Polish tourism in the health sector.

The Polish stand was remarkably popular among visitors, who were also drawn by videos displayed on its main wall. The Polish floral motif of red poppies proved to be a genuine hit and served as the background of many photos. Finally, on-site consultants were most often asked about health resorts, rehabilitation benefits and aesthetic medicine.