Since this year, Qingdao has implemented a comprehensive strategy to attract more international visitors through policies like 240-hour visa-free transit and instant tax refunds. Efforts focus on streamlined entry, payment convenience, and diverse cultural tourism offerings.

The city ensures a smooth arrival experience. At Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport, immigration has improved procedures for efficiency, and the airport's service center has processed thousands of foreign currency exchanges and card withdrawals.

"Exchanging money at the airport was very convenient," noted a tourist from South Korea. The metro system supports Alipay and provides multi-language services at key stations.

A thriving cruise industry further boosts inbound tourism. The Qingdao international cruise home port expects over 30 sailings this year. For each arrival, authorities optimize clearance and offer curated shore excursions linking iconic sites like the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center and Tsingtao Beer Museum.

Qingdao is also fostering a tourist-friendly spending environment. Over 5,000 key merchants now accept foreign bank cards, and the network of tax-refund shops has expanded to 71 outlets. The newly opened Qingdao Downtown Duty-free Shop, featuring over 100 international brands, complements the fast shop and refund ecosystem.

Cultural integration is key to the strategy. The 35th Qingdao International Beer Festival, a huge cultural draw, received approximately 22.48 million visits and generated significant tax-refund sales. The city has also developed tailored tour routes, such as intangible cultural heritage tours for markets like Europe and the United States.

These coordinated efforts are showing results. In the first three quarters of the year, Qingdao welcomed 442,000 international tourist arrivals, a 43.5 percent year-on-year increase.

Qingdao rolls out a comprehensive strategy to attract more international visitors. [Photo/Guanhai News]