Shandong's tourism brand, "Friendly Shandong, hometown of Confucius", became a photographed Chinese stand at the 2025 World Travel Market (WTM) held in London from Nov 4 to 6 as the province unveiled a new English film, bespoke heritage routes and hands-on crafts for European travelers.

This year's WTM attracted delegations from over 180 countries and more than 150,000 visitors. Shandong, as a leading tourist destination in China, presented 200 guests with curated gift packs and an interactive zone where stone-rubbing and Luban-lock puzzles brought living culture right to their fingertips.

Thomas O'Malley, writer of Lonely Planet, tells his trips in Shandong at the WTM in London. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]

Thomas O'Malley, writer of Lonely Planet, appeared at the Shandong exhibition pavilion, tracing his three trips along the Taishan Mountain–Confucius legacies–Yellow River circuit. Air China and Capital Airlines followed with air-plus-rail packages, while China Travel (Qingdao) raffled free tickets to Taishan Mountain and Qufu, sparking long lines of eager buyers.

A refreshed promo clip Every Encounter is a Long-awaited Reunion premiered in four chapters. Pairing drone shots of the Yellow River delta with slow-motion beer tapping in Qingdao, the clip showed Shandong's bounty tourism offerings from magnificent natural landscapes, enduring cultural legacies and inheritance, to modern vibrant experience.

Additionally, the Shandong cultural intangible heritage section shifted the story from screen to touch with activities like stone-rubbing and solving Luban locks.

A visitor snaps a photo at the Shandong exhibition pavilion at the WTM 2025. [Photo/WeChat account: sdswltwx]