The warming of inbound tourism is best underscored by hard data. According to statistics from the Shandong General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, in the first half of 2026, Shandong's ports handled more than 3.52 million inbound and outbound travelers, up 13 percent year-on-year. Among them, foreign nationals made more than 1.2 million inbound and outbound trips, up 28.4 percent. Visa-free foreign arrivals accounted for 85.2 percent of all foreign arrivals. The continued release of visa-free benefits has become a core driver of port passenger growth. Cultural tourism data were equally impressive. In the first half of the year, Shandong received 1.033 million inbound tourist visits and earned US$700 million in inbound tourism revenue, up 44.2 percent and 43.3 percent year-on-year, respectively. Monitoring by the Ctrip platform shows that the province's inbound tourism transaction volume increased by more than 60 percent year-on-year, while inbound visits increased by more than 40 percent, with growth rates among the highest in the country.

　　In the past, when foreign tourists traveled to China, their shopping lists were mostly tea, silk and traditional souvenirs, and shopping was an appendage to the travel itinerary. Today's "China Haul" is a consumption plan made proactively in advance: overseas influencers research products, compare prices and check departure tax refund rules on social platforms ahead of time; they land with empty suitcases, fill them with Chinese domestic products before departure, shoot unboxing videos, and in turn recommend quality Chinese products to the world. The consumption logic has shifted from "buying along the way" to "coming specifically for desirable products." Tourism and shopping empower each other, and travel itself becomes an immersive experience of Chinese domestic products.