Qingdao Jiaodong International Airport in Shandong province has ramped up flight services in response to a surge in inbound tourists from South Korea following the implementation of a new visa-free entry policy with nine countries.

The expanded visa-free policy, initiated on Nov 8, allows passport holders from Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein and South Korea to stay in China for up to 15 days for purposes such as business, tourism, visiting relatives and transit.

South Korean travelers arriving at Qingdao airport on the same day were among the first to benefit from this new policy.

One such traveler, Kim Sang-woo, arrived at Qingdao airport on Nov 8 to embark on a tour of Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province.

"Although I haven't been to Qingdao before, I have visited other Chinese cities like Shanghai and Suzhou. Previously, I had to visit the embassy and prepare many documents for visa application. Now, with the visa-free policy, traveling to China has become very convenient," he said.

Qingdao airport, renowned as a gateway to South Korea and Japan, is dedicated to enhancing its flight services to South Korea, aiming to provide passengers with a more user-friendly travel experience.

The airport operates an average of 32 daily round-trip flights to and from South Korea, serviced by multiple airlines including Shandong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Qingdao Airlines, Busan Air and Korean Air.

Flights are evenly distributed throughout the day, offering passengers flexibility in choosing suitable ones, said Gao Wei, deputy director of the aviation marketing committee at Qingdao International Airport Group Co Ltd.

Among the flights, Qingdao offers 29 daily flights to Seoul, two daily flights to Busan and six weekly flights to Jeju, maintaining its position as the top destination for the "Seoul Express" flight route among domestic airports.

"The high-frequency flight schedules at Qingdao airport provide more flexible and convenient options for travelers from both China and South Korea, whether for business trips, visiting relatives and friends, or tourism," said Gao.

The visa-free policy not only saves time for travelers from the designated countries but also enhances the Customs clearance efficiency, he added.

Kim Mee-yeun is a fashion jewelry designer who has been working and living in China for 12 years. Kim, who is currently living in Qingdao, said the convenient flight service between Qingdao and South Korea enables her to get much-needed medical care in her country right away.

The significant rise in the number of passengers and flights between Qingdao and South Korea this year underscores the growing travel demand between the two regions.

Over 1.27 million visits have been handled by 9,858 flights during the first 10 months, a year-on-year increase of 109 percent and 87 percent, respectively, according to statistics from the border inspection authority at Qingdao airport.

Local border inspection staff have taken a series of measures to manage the increased passenger flow, including deploying officers proficient in foreign languages, optimizing border inspection processes, and providing guidance to visa-free travelers to ensure safe and smooth Customs clearance, said Bian Feng, an officer of Qingdao airport border inspection authority.