During the five-day May Day holiday, Qingdao's marine tourism reached record highs. The joint sea-tour operation led by Qingdao Tourism Group achieved sales of 11.58 million yuan ($1.7 million), a 34.64 percent increase year-on-year. It operated 4,258 sailings and carried 172,700 passengers, an increase of 11.95 percent, both setting new records.

Two new docks and premium routes were launched. Xiaomaidao Pier, aimed at young travelers, welcomed over 1,000 visitors in its first days. Laoshan Yangkou Pier, where visitors can view the fairy mountains from the sea route, offers a fresh perspective on the famed coastal mountains.

Core products like the Orange Sea Sunset Cruise and Fushan Bay Night Cruise remained very popular. Qingdao ferries attracted more than 42,000 visitors during the holiday, with a single-day peak of 17,800. On May 4, its Douyin livestream ranked first in the national "travel and group buying" category.

Driving the success is the Qingdao Model — a system of government coordination, State-owned platform building, and private sector participation. With unified management, digital dispatch, and a three-tier service guarantee, the industry has moved from unhealthy competition to quality improvement.

Looking ahead, Qingdao will expand its all-season, whole-area marine tourism, strengthening the "travel Qingdao from the sea" brand and advancing its goal of becoming an international coastal resort destination.

During the five-day May Day holiday, Qingdao's marine tourism hits record highs. [Photo/Guanhai News]