Taiwan's democracy praised by German politician at Berlin tourism fair

Berlin, March 6 (CNA) A German politician praised Taiwan as a "beacon of freedom and human rights in Asia," at a Taiwan event on Wednesday at the annual ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin) tourism exhibition.

Jian Omar of the Berlin House of Representatives applauded Taiwan's courage to become a progressively open-minded country.

The politician, who was granted asylum in Germany from his birth-country Syria, said this is why Taiwan is considered a "new star" to European countries.

Omar went on to call Taiwan "a beacon of freedom and human rights in Asia" for the island's societal diversity and mutual respect.

The politician then encouraged participants of the Wednesday event to visit Taiwan for its majestic scenery and democratic society.

Speaking to CNA, Omar also said that he was very happy to be considered a friend of Taiwan, adding that he will continue supporting the nation.

Taiwan participated in the ITB this year using the island's railway system as its main theme.

Taiwan erected an immersive experience as its centerpiece display at the show, where visitors to the nation's booth could enjoy the island's scenery through train windows.

Visitors could experience the fun of traveling from Taiwan's cities to the island's tea farms and indigenous villages.

On the second day of the March 4-6 event, Taiwan hosted the "Taiwan Happy Hour" event where over 100 guests, including politicians, journalists and tour companies, were introduced to the island's scenic destinations and unique merchandise.

The guests were also treated to distinctive Taiwanese beverages like coffee brewed from beans grown on the Alishan mountain range and bubble tea, also known as boba.

Representing Taiwan's Tourism Administration, Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters Director Huang Shih-fang (黃勢芳) said that European visitors to Taiwan grew by 17 percent between 2023 and 2024.

People from Germany accounted for 20 percent of European visitors to Taiwan in 2024, Huang said.

Huang attributed the growth to the hard work of Taiwan's Tourism Administration and overseas tourism promotion departments.

As the director of Alishan National Scenic Area Headquarters, Huang heavily featured the flagship Taiwanese mountain range during his speech, stating that Alishan was included in the New York Times' "2025 Travel Destinations: 52 Places to Go This Year" list.

The Wednesday event was closed out by members of 'Etolan Style, an Indigenous singing group from Taitung County's Dulan Village.

(By Dido Lin and James Lo) Enditem/ASG