In the wake of the Spring Festival holidays officially recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage late last year, this year's extended eight-day Spring Festival holiday season further fueled travel demand for homecomings, tourism, and family visits. According to the Qingdao Transportation Public Service Center, the city recorded a total of 1.96 million inbound and outbound travelers during the holiday, averaging 245,000 per day. Air travel accounted for 638,400 passengers (79,800 daily), while rail transport saw 1.27 million passengers (158,600 daily). Road transport contributed 52,800 passengers (6,600 daily). Most travelers opted for rail, air, or self-driving routes.

Popular travel destinations from Qingdao Airport for this year's Spring Festival holidays included Northeast, South, and Southwest China, as well as international routes to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia. China's introduction of visa-free transit policies last year streamlined entry procedures for foreign visitors. Director Bian Feng of the Qingdao Airport border inspection authorities observed a noticeable increase in foreign tourists traveling to China for the Lunar New Year. Many arrived in family groups or tour parties to experience the festive atmosphere. Qingdao Airport handled 66,000 cross-border travelers during the holidays, marking a 4% year-on-year increase.

Qingdao’s expressways saw a total of 6.98 million vehicle entries and exits during the Spring Festival holidays, averaging 872,600 per day—an increase of 3.29% year-on-year. The surge in self-driving trips reflects the city's well-developed transportation infrastructure, with 17 expressways spanning a total of 919 kilometers, the longest network in Shandong Province.  The boom in road travel also highlights the strength of Qingdao’s auto market. Driven by trade-in incentives, the city’s vehicle sales reached 14.53 billion yuan in 2024, supported by 1.38 billion yuan in subsidies. A total of 266,000 new vehicles were registered, a 16.8% increase from the previous year, with over 130,000 being new energy vehicles (NEVs).