Maritime Guardianship Ensures Safe Sea Travel for Millions in Xiamen.
According to statistics from Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration, during the 7-day National Day holiday in 2026, water passenger transport and leisure boat passenger volume in the Xiamen jurisdiction exceeded one million trips. A total of 49 passenger ships operated 5,689 trips, transporting 996,700 passengers, an increase of 1.56% compared to the same period last year, with an average daily water passenger volume exceeding 140,000 passengers. Among these, the Xiamen-Kinmen "Mini Three Links" passenger route operated 186 trips, carrying 35,500 passengers. Additionally, the maritime leisure tourism market was thriving, with leisure vessels making 7,066 trips and carrying 52,800 passengers, with more than 7,000 people per day enjoying yachts and sailboats to explore Xiamen. Water passenger transport demonstrated "three highs": high frequency of ship movements, high density of maritime passenger flow, and high public attention across the straits. To address this, Xiamen Maritime Safety authorities increased their manpower, integrating efforts from port and shipping units within the jurisdiction to jointly implement service guarantees and fully ensuring the safety of millions of passengers during their maritime journeys.By anticipating passenger flow, weather, and sea conditions data for the National Day holiday in advance, Xiamen Maritime Safety authorities adhered to the principle of "one route, one policy; one ship, one policy," coordinated the vessel transport capacity within the jurisdiction, increased the frequency of passenger ship operations, and precisely met the travel needs of passengers. They strengthened the collaborative efforts of Xiamen Port’s integrated scheduling and cross-department coordination, streamlined the flow and transportation of passengers at terminals, and improved the operational efficiency of passenger ships, achieving high-frequency and high-efficiency maritime passenger transport operations.To ensure the safe and efficient operation of passenger vessels, the Traffic Management Center of the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration implemented a dedicated station and window for round-the-clock monitoring. Through a three-in-one model of "electronic patrol + marine patrol boat coordination + on-site monitoring," efforts were intensified for organizing water navigation order, enhancing the deployment of onboard supervision, and providing travel guidelines and safety reminders for passengers. These measures effectively ensured the safe operations of ships.Previously, in response to the peak of passenger return during National Day and the Mid-Autumn Festival on the Xiamen-Kinmen "Mini Three Links" passenger route, the maritime safety authorities, in cooperation with the Xiamen Land and Water Transport Command Center, the Port and Navigation Law Enforcement Unit, and other forces, launched special inspections of baggage handling and urged the optimization of the management of both carry-on and large luggage transportation, ensuring the smooth operation of emergency escape routes.In the later stages of the National Day holiday, as cold air moved southward, maritime winds and waves gradually increased. To strengthen emergency preparedness, the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration disseminated weather warning information through multiple channels and organized companies and vessels to respond efficiently to poor visibility and strong winds. Relying on the Xiamen-Kinmen Sea Area "1030" rapid response center, maritime patrol boats and rescue forces were pre-deployed in critical waters to enhance emergency readiness, strengthen regional emergency rescue preparations, and improve the efficiency of emergency responses. During the holiday, several maritime departments jointly intensified dynamic patrol inspections of key channels and waterways, promptly rectifying various navigation obstacles and collaboratively maintaining the safety and smoothness of the navigation environment.Relevant officials from the Xiamen Maritime Safety Administration stated that the maritime passenger transport peak during the holiday is a practical test of the regulatory and service capabilities of the maritime department. Moving forward, they will continue to optimize regulatory and service measures to provide safety assurance for Xiamen's maritime leisure tourism economy through dedication and responsibility.
