A signing ceremony is held at the 2024 Shandong International Travel Operators Conference. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In an effort to boost market confidence and promote the development of inbound tourism, Shandong province unveiled a comprehensive set of policies and measures on April 25, according to guidelines released by the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism at the 2024 Shandong International Travel Operators Conference.

With the recent expansion of visa-free policies, the resumption of international flights, and ongoing improvements to payment systems for overseas tourists, the province is poised for a boom inbound tourism.

While working to optimize visa and customs policies, the province is taking advantage of the 144-hour transit visa-free policy in Qingdao and seeking to implement a 15-day visa-free entry for tourist groups arriving by cruise liners.

Efforts will be made to promote the opening of new flights to other countries and regions, increase flight frequencies, support inbound tourism charter flights, and improve the convenience of direct flights to Shandong for inbound tourists.

The province will also develop diverse inbound tourism product itineraries by utilizing its rich cultural relics and seek to make its cultural and tourist attractions more diverse and international.

Measures will be taken to enhance international engagement, improve tourist information services, including the provision of multilingual signage and the establishment of dedicated hotlines for overseas tourists, streamline mobile payment processes, and optimize departure tax refund services.

It will also strengthen overseas promotion and marketing by using tailored marketing strategies.