This "reverse cross-border shopping" boom among overseas tourists is by no means accidental. It is backed by a combined package of policy facilitation and consumer support facilities. Visa-free policies have continued to expand, greatly lowering the entry threshold and making it possible for foreigners to visit with minimal hassle; departure tax refund policies have been upgraded, clearing key bottlenecks in inbound consumption. Shandong has implemented immediate departure tax refunds—"buy now, refund now"—in Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai and Weihai, lowered the minimum refund threshold to 200 yuan, and built a service network covering shopping districts, ports and scenic areas.

　　Qingdao is even further ahead. Shopping areas such as Hisense Plaza complete tax refunds within three minutes and support multi-currency international card settlement. Qingdao Jiaodong Airport Customs has implemented new tax refund rules: refund applications under 10,000 yuan are subject to random spot checks and paperless processing, and travelers can quickly verify with only their documents, achieving "arrive and go." In the first half of 2026, Qingdao Jiaodong Airport Customs processed 2,411 departure tax refund cases, with requested refund amounts totaling 4.764 million yuan, up 5.7-fold and 50.4 percent year-on-year, respectively. Tax refund dividends have continued to translate into consumption momentum.