Cross-Strait travel hits record highs during Golden Week holiday

Travel across the Taiwan Strait experienced a significant surge during the eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, as reflected by passenger data from ferry routes linking East China's Fujian province with the islands of Jinmen and Matsu administered by Taiwan.

More than 40,000 passengers took the Xiamen-Jinmen ferry route from Oct 1 to 8, marking a year-over-year increase of over 170 percent. On Oct 1, outbound passengers exceeded 3,800, setting a new record for the year, the Xiamen Border Inspection Station said.

Data indicates strong demand for travel from Fujian residents to Jinmen, with more than 8,000 mainland residents visiting the island by ferry during the holiday, a 40-fold increase compared to the previous year, the station said.

In the first four days, passenger flow mainly consisted of mainland residents traveling to Jinmen for tourism and family visits, as well as Taiwan compatriots returning to Taiwan. In the latter half of the holiday, the flow shifted to Taiwan residents visiting the mainland for family gatherings and celebrations, and mainland tourists returning home, according to the station.

To accommodate the increased demand, the Xiamen-Jinmen ferry increased its daily round trips from 24 to 26, facilitating smoother travel for passengers during the holiday.

Meanwhile, the Fuzhou-Matsu routes operated 60 ferry trips during the holiday, transporting 2,983 passengers, a year-over-year increase of 210.6 percent. The peak daily passenger volume reached 557, the Fuzhou Maritime Safety Administration said.

During the holiday, additional enforcement personnel were deployed to maintain on-site supervision, and a "green channel" was opened at the port to ensure convenient travel for passengers.