German LGBTQ travel magazine Spartacus International Gay Guide has handed Taiwan the ‘Best LGBTQ Trend Destination’ award, per CNA.

Spartacus presented the award on Wednesday (March 6) as part of the Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB) trade fair, reported Mate Magazine. Taiwan’s Director of Tourism Administration in Frankfurt Hsieh Chang-ming (謝長明) and Head of the International Affairs Division Huang I-cheng (黃易成) received the award.

At the ceremony, Spartacus said that Taiwan was not only the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage, but also allowed same-sex couples to adopt children starting from 2023.

Spartacus Editor-in-Chief Dirk Baumgartl said in an interview with CNA the main reason for recommending Taiwan was its progressive attitude towards anti-discrimination and support for gay pride.

“This willingness to actively display LGBTQ pride is what makes Taiwan an interesting travel destination,” he said.

“From the perspective of ordinary Germans, Thailand is undoubtedly the most popular tourist destination, but in terms of its gay-friendly and safe environment, Taiwan is the most suitable Asian country for LGBTQ people to visit,” he said.

Baumgartl said that some countries regard sexual minorities as a crime. LGBTQ people must be extra cautious when traveling to these countries to protect their safety, he added.

However, Baumgartl said the world has become more open toward the gay community in recent years. He added LGBTQ tourism has grown rapidly over the past 20 years, making it an industry that cannot be ignored.

Since 2012, the magazine has been releasing its annual “Spartacus Gay Travel Index,” which analyzes the impact of political decisions, laws, violence, and other factors that affect the LGBTQ community around the world. In its 2024 report, Taiwan scored highly with 9 points, the same as countries like Sweden and Austria.