In the first four months of this year, Qingdao witnessed a year-on-year surge of 4.5 times in the number of tourists who have gone through tax refunding upon departure, a year-on-year increase of 55.2% in the sales of tax-refundable commodities, and a year-on-year rise of 80.7% in the amount of tax refunded. This is a testament to the fact that convenient tax refunding service has become an important incentive for inbound tourists to travel and consume in Qingdao.

Since the beginning of this year, inbound tourism in Qingdao has been booming. Backed by such favorable policies as the 240-hour visa-free transit policy and 24-hour direct transit without inspection, an increasing number of foreign tourists choose Qingdao as their tourist destination. To help deliver more comfortable consumption experience to overseas tourists, Qingdao has continued to expand the number of shops applicable to tax refunding, which has soared to 91 from 41 in early 2025. The commercial network has covered core business districts in the main urban area, popular tourist spots, and traffic hubs and ports.  (Fu Jun)

Tourists from South Korea are buying cultural and creative products in the Tsingtao Beer Museum.