Qingdao is an excellent tourist city. It is also an important transportation hub and a seaport in east China entitled to the visa processing for overseas tourists and visa exempting for short-term (within 15 days) Japanese tourists.
　　Qingdao has beautiful scenery and an agreeable climate. As early as in the 1920s, Qingdao became a famous tourist resort. Zigzag seashore , undulating hills, European-style red-roofed houses and green trees make the city unique. Historical sites and constantly improved modern facilities add to the attractiveness of the city. Qingdao is an excellent place for sightseers, holidaymakers and for holding business talks and exhibitions.
　　In the west of the city is the old urban area which is known for its red-roofed houses, green trees, blue sea and azure sky; in the east is the new urban area dotted with modern high buildings. Both the old and new areas constitute a seaside city with both European and Asian landscapes.
　　Walking along the coastal sidewalk, tourists can enjoy the beautiful coastal sights of the city. From west to east, the entire scenic area is divided into four scenic spots with their own special features.
　　Historical Culture and Euro-Asian Culture Area
　　This area contains numerous cultural relics against the beautiful natural scenery. This valuable heritage of the century-old city is a result of the combination of eastern and western cultures. Historical sites, foreign-style villas and excellent beaches form a unique Euro-Asian culture area.
　　The western-style buildings here feature the architecture of over 20 countries. Typical ones include the former German Governor's Residence and Office Building, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church and the villa area in Badaguan, where numerous newly-weds, photographers and tourists visit all year round.
　　Tourist attractions in the East of Qingdao
　　Donghai Road, Hong Kong Road, Macao Road, the Sculpture Garden of Cultural Celebrities, the May 4th Square and the Music Square, etc. form magnificent scenery for this modern international metropolis.
　　Shilaoren National Holiday Resort
　　Unique tourist villas, hotels, excellent beaches and numerous cultural and sports facilities like the Seaside Sculpture Park, the Dolphinarium, the International Beer City, the Golf Course, the International Convention Center, the Cultural Exhibition Center, the Century Square and the Sports Center are all places visitors should not miss. Such projects as the Qingdao Polar Sea World, the Modern Arts Center, and the Yacht Club are now under construction. All these will make Qingdao a comprehensive tourist area with facilities for holidaymaking, amusement, exhibition and sports competitions.
　　Laoshan National Scenic Spot
　　Located by the seaside of the Yellow Sea, the 1,133-meter-high Mt. Laoshan is known as the No.1 religious mountain along China's coastline and the birthplace of Taoism. Entitled a national tourist attraction by the State Council, this area is composed of nine sections, five scenic spots under restoration and some surrounding scenic spots. It is a national model scenic area, which ranks a national 4A ranking.
　　Laoshan Mountain has a humid temperate climate. It is an important shrine for spreading Taoism, known as the "Second Largest Taoist Monastery in the World". Grotesque rocks in the mountain resemble all kinds of live creatures, so Laoshan Mountain is known as a natural sculpture park. The ancient trees, rare vegetation and rich natural resources, especially mineral water and undersea jades, have made Laoshan Mountain widely known.
　　Qingdao enjoys an abundance of natural scenic spots and places of interest in its outskirt regions. In the famous Langyatai Tourist Resort where the Yue Emperor Goujian met his dukes and princes, the relics can be found. It is here that Yingzheng, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, paid visits for three times; and from here Xufu sailed eastward for Japan. Tianhengdao Island is a historic site recording the heroic feats of five hundred soldiers who died as martyrs in the West Han Dynasty more than two thousand years ago. The Cliff Inscriptions in Mt. Tianzhu in Pingdu are regarded as national treasures. The State-level nature reserve Mashan Hoodoos, and the Great Wall Relics of the Qi Kingdom in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) can also be found in this area.
　　In 2004, Qingdao received as many as 522,000 overseas tourists (person-time ) who contributed US$ 288 million to the local revenue, and a total of 21.57 million domestic tourists who left 18.378 billion yuan to the local treasury. The total revenue from tourism in 2004 reached 20.77 billion yuan.
　　青島是中國(guó)重要的經(jīng)濟(jì)中心城市和沿海開(kāi)放城市,是國(guó)家級(jí)歷史文化名城和風(fēng)景旅游、度假勝地.
　　青島市位于山東半島南端,面積10654平方公里,總?cè)丝?99萬(wàn).其中市區(qū)面積1102平方公里,人口224萬(wàn).現(xiàn)轄市南、市北、四方、李滄、嶗山、城陽(yáng)、黃島7個(gè)區(qū)及即墨、膠州、膠南、平度、萊西5個(gè)縣級(jí)市.氣候溫和,屬溫帶季風(fēng)氣候,年平均氣溫12.2度.
　　提起青島人們就會(huì)想到這里是繁華的現(xiàn)代城市和舉世聞名的避暑勝地.踏上青島這塊土地,各種各樣的別墅令人目不暇接：尖、圓、高、低、石的,.皆依山傍路而建.蔭蔭綠樹(shù)植于路旁,又有紅瓦粉墻的樓棟,紅綠相映,別樣風(fēng)光.
　　來(lái)到青島最讓人著迷的就是大海了,它從三面環(huán)繞著青島,尤其是被本地人稱做“前海沿兒”的那一帶,風(fēng)景更美.棧橋如同一頭水牛,遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的將它的脖子伸向海中.橋頭的“回瀾閣”是一座亭式二層樓閣,登上回瀾閣,就如登上一艘巨輪；海浪滾滾,就如大海中航行一般.人行橋上,遠(yuǎn)處看來(lái)就好像是在水上.離棧橋向東走不遠(yuǎn),是第一浴場(chǎng).這里得天賦之勢(shì),灣深、坡緩、水清、沙細(xì),是目前國(guó)內(nèi)最大的海水浴場(chǎng).站在浴場(chǎng)邊上,北是是魯迅公園,南為是八大關(guān).沿海循山而建的魯迅公園,起伏成階,盤旋為路,園中之亭更見(jiàn)風(fēng)致.還有“青島水族館”,各類水族動(dòng)物可供賞玩,是赴青島者必游之地.八大關(guān)一線的海岸線極不規(guī)則,一路走來(lái),高聳的峭壁,廣闊的沙灘,.景色多變,令人嘆為觀止.
　　山東的第三高山嶗山就聳立在青島郊外.許多神話傳說(shuō),從此山中氤氳的霧氣中飄散了數(shù)千年,流傳到了今天.嶗山地處黃海一隅,難以涉足,且東南兩面臨海,山光海色相交,離合變幻無(wú)窮,自然讓人增添了神秘感,成為歷代名士佛道向往的地方,連秦皇、漢武曾把嶗山當(dāng)作“神仙窟宅”.如今的嶗山仍是寺宮古樹(shù)立遍地,石階瀑流掛滿山,令人神往.
　　作為旅游城市青島,有著三里河等新石器時(shí)代遺址,齊長(zhǎng)城、田橫島、瑯邪臺(tái)、珠山石窟等著名古跡；嶗山的險(xiǎn)峰異石與市區(qū)的海濱風(fēng)光又形成無(wú)數(shù)勝景佳區(qū)；有那羅延窟、白云洞等神異的洞府；有太乙、神水、金液等名泉清溪.古代名人如鄭玄、邱長(zhǎng)春、張三豐、李白、顧炎武、蒲松齡、高鳳翰、康有為等的履跡遍布各地,留下了華美的詩(shī)文.盛夏季節(jié),各海水浴場(chǎng)入浴者,經(jīng)常一天達(dá)幾十萬(wàn)人次.新建的賓館拔地而起.昔日德國(guó)提督的官邸和恭王府,也已對(duì)外開(kāi)放.
　　美麗,富饒的青島引得名士云集各留詩(shī)文,陳毅同志也在詩(shī)文中寫(xiě)到:“試看海天青,其青照市廛.試看松柏青,其青染峰巒.”整個(gè)青島依著山傍著海,秀麗的風(fēng)光,宜人的氣候,依山而建的市區(qū),使得城市建筑別具特色：碧海藍(lán)天與紅墻綠樹(shù)交織成美麗的港灣風(fēng)采；細(xì)浪、駁船、沙灘又構(gòu)成動(dòng)人的小島風(fēng)景線.人們常說(shuō)："泰山看山,曲阜看古,杭州看景,青島則三者兼而有之",正道出了青島美的絕妙之處,神來(lái)之筆.
　　如今的青島市是一個(gè)交通發(fā)達(dá),設(shè)施齊全的旅游城市了.這里的旅游業(yè)已經(jīng)形成了“行、游、住、食、購(gòu)、娛”綜合配套與國(guó)際接軌的規(guī)范化服務(wù)體系.全市共有旅行社100余家,其中國(guó)際旅行社10家；星級(jí)飯店30家,其中五星級(jí)2家,四星級(jí)3家,可接待外國(guó)游客的客房萬(wàn)余間.青島旅游服務(wù)水平不斷提高,市場(chǎng)秩序不斷改善.市旅游投訴中心以維護(hù)游客合法權(quán)益為根本宗旨,已形成輻射全行業(yè)的投訴網(wǎng)絡(luò).青島旅游餐飲和旅游商品更趨特色化,已評(píng)選出“十大特色小吃”和“十大旅游特色商品”.
　　青島正以建設(shè)現(xiàn)代化國(guó)際城市的宏偉目標(biāo)闊步邁向二十一世紀(jì).青島市政府重視發(fā)展旅游業(yè),對(duì)旅游業(yè)實(shí)行政府主導(dǎo)戰(zhàn)略,并規(guī)劃了旅游業(yè)發(fā)展的前景.到2010年規(guī)劃目標(biāo)是：緊緊圍繞實(shí)現(xiàn)建設(shè)現(xiàn)代化國(guó)際城市的總目標(biāo),在保持城市歷史文化特色和自然風(fēng)貌的前提下,合理開(kāi)發(fā)、科學(xué)利用旅游資源,使旅游業(yè)的發(fā)展與經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)發(fā)展相協(xié)調(diào),力爭(zhēng)把青島建設(shè)成為旅游環(huán)境優(yōu)美舒適、基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施配套完善、旅游產(chǎn)品獨(dú)具特色、產(chǎn)業(yè)帶動(dòng)作用突出、管理服務(wù)高效文明,集觀光、度假、商務(wù)、會(huì)展、文化、體育于一體的國(guó)內(nèi)外著名海濱旅游城市.在資源和產(chǎn)品開(kāi)發(fā)方面,將以海濱風(fēng)光、嶗山名勝、歷史名城、文化遺址為主題,重點(diǎn)開(kāi)發(fā)建設(shè)黃金海岸旅游線、嶗山國(guó)家風(fēng)景名勝區(qū)和海濱度假旅游,培育一批文化品位高,參與性強(qiáng),投入少、見(jiàn)效快、拉動(dòng)力大,具有國(guó)際性、不可替代性和無(wú)季節(jié)性的旅游產(chǎn)品,如海上廣場(chǎng)、國(guó)際啤酒城、海洋公園、會(huì)展中心、民俗博物館、海洋科技館等,進(jìn)一步辦好青島國(guó)際啤酒節(jié)、青島國(guó)際海洋節(jié)、沙灘文化節(jié)、海之情旅游節(jié)、青島之夏藝術(shù)節(jié)等具有特色的節(jié)慶活動(dòng).