FUZHOU - A total of 109,711 passengers traveled between southeast China's Fujian province and Taiwan via direct sea routes in January, up 19 percent year-on-year, local transportation authorities said.

Figures released on Friday by local authorities showed that 1,311 cross-Straits ferry trips took place in January. The surge was caused by an increased number of travelers heading home for the Spring Festival holiday (January 22 to 28), local authorities said.

Fujian province, which is located opposite the island across the Taiwan Strait, enjoys convenient and flexible cross-straits links, including four direct sea routes and eight air routes.

The first regular direct sea route was launched in August 2009, linking Fujian's Xiamen Port and Taiwan's Taichung Port and Keelung Port.