According to statistics from the Qingdao Airport Entry and Exit Frontier Inspection Station, the number of foreigners entering China via Qingdao Airport from January 1 to February 26 surged 55.4% year on year to more than 68,000.

Thanks to the implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, a rising number of foreign passengers decide to fly to Shandong Province to go on a sightseeing tour and visit relatives or friends. Data from the Qingdao Airport Entry and Exit Frontier Inspection Station show that Qingdao Airport saw more than 182,000 entries and exits of foreign passengers, a year-on-year surge of 61.3%, over more than two months (December 17, 2024-February 26, 2025) since the policy came into effect. A total of over 1,500 foreigners from 52 countries and regions such as the UK, the US, Canada and Russia transited through Qingdao Airport on 24- or 240-hour basis. The UK and Russia were the top two sources of tourists, contributing 43% and 25%, respectively.

As an increasing number of countries grant visa-free policies to China, demand among residents from the Chinese mainland for traveling abroad continues to rise. Since the beginning of 2025, the station has inspected more than 380,000 Chinese mainlanders, representing 70% of the total entries and exits. For residents from the Chinese mainland who went abroad via Qingdao Airport, South Korea, Japan and Singapore rank among the top three destinations, accounting for 30%, 14% and 4%, respectively.  (Zhou Jianliang)