Ningxia tourism revenue surged 33.6 percent over the week-long National Day holiday to 330 million yuan (US$52 million) with 599,000 visits to the region, the local tourism bureau said.

Statistics show that short-distance tours remain the most popular choice for visitors to the region. Day tours attracted 426,000 sightseers, bringing in 180 million yuan (US$28 million), more than half of the regional holiday tourism revenue.

Independent tours and trips by car increased sharply during the golden holiday week. Highway entrances to attractions around the region were equipped with extra tollbooths, and parking lots were packed.

Transportation accounted for the lion's share of regional tourist spending, with shopping and accommodations coming in second and third.