The rise in spending was all the more impressive given that the cost of expensive food items such as pork, eggs and edible oil all dropped before the holiday.

The ministry said even sales of milk powder and liquid milk had rebounded to up to 80 per cent of their levels before the industrial chemical melamine was detected in many dairy brands last month.

The ministry claimed stepped-up government checks may have played a role in boosting consumer confidence in dairy products.

Of all mainland cities, Beijing posted the most impressive numbers for the week-long holiday. Beijing's tourism bureau said 8.02 million tourists had visited major attractions, or 35 per cent more than last year. The Olympic venues proved to be a draw, with 2.42 million people stopping by the main Olympic arenas over the holiday to see the Olympic Green, the National Stadium and the National Aquatics Centre.

On Thursday alone, 527,499 tourists visited the area, a total that surpassed the peak of 500,000 visitors during the Olympic Games.

Beijing's restaurants benefited from the tourism jump, with a rise in sales at 37 major restaurants monitored by the tourist bureau. The restaurants posted 115 million yuan in revenue during the week, a 53.6 per cent increase compared with last year's National Day holiday.

Other major tourist cities - including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Guilin and Xiamen - all reported double-digit rises in visitor numbers for the holiday.