Maritime tourism in Qingdao, a coastal city in Shandong province, reached a historic milestone. Over 4.2 million visitors have already set sail with "travel Qingdao from the sea" this year — up 8.31 percent — surpassing last year's total in just 285 days. That's about 14,700 people discovering the city from the sea every day.

The National Day holiday was a huge hit — 5,590 trips and 243,500 passengers, up 60.13 percent and 47.84 percent, respectively. On Oct 3 alone, Qingdao Ferry welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors, a new high for the year. Its Douyin account repeatedly topped national travel group-buying rankings.

The "travel Qingdao from the sea" tourism brand brand has evolved from a simple maritime attraction into a highly recognizable city IP. Backed by a framework stretching from Jiaozhou Bay in the north to Zhaitang Island in the south — with multi-point linkage and north-south connectivity — its source market is rapidly expanding from regional to national, with out-of-town visitors now accounting for about 75 percent.

Fueled by product innovations such as night tourism and seagull season, along with year-round operations, the "travel Qingdao from the sea" tourism brand maintains momentum year-round, with peak seasons performing even stronger.

New routes continue to drive cultural and tourism consumption through land-sea integration. This year, routes including the Xiaomaidao line, Yangkou line, and Zhanqiao Pier Night Cruise have connected more land and sea resources. The Lingshan Island one-day and two-day tours are steadily gaining popularity, continuously enriching both the product experience and its appeal.

Qingdao's marine tourism joint operation welcomes over 4.2 million visitors this year, setting a new record as the "travel Qingdao from the sea" brand continues to grow. [Photo/Guanhai News]