The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released findings from its Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey, conducted over July 2025 to June 2026. The survey, carried out by the National Statistics Office as part of the 80th round of the National Sample Survey, collected information from over 246,000 households across rural and urban India on domestic overnight trips, day trips, travel patterns and spending behaviour.
Key facts
- Survey covered 2,46,113 households across 24,778 locations nationwide, excluding difficult-to-access villages in Andaman and Nicobar Islands
- Pilgrimage and religious trips account for 48 per cent of all overnight trips undertaken in the last 365 days
- Health and medical trips are the second most common purpose for rural overnight trips (38.4 per cent) and third for urban trips
- Business trips recorded the highest average spending at Rs. 5,949 per trip for overnight journeys in the last 30 days
- Social visits account for 89 per cent of overnight trips undertaken in the last 30 days
- Social (33 per cent) and shopping (26 per cent) are the most common reasons for same-day trips
- Health and medical overnight trips cost the most: Rs. 29,454 in rural areas and Rs. 41,649 in urban areas
- Uttar Pradesh is the top destination for both annual and monthly overnight trips, followed by Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan
- Average trip size is 2.03 persons for year-long overnight trips and 1.95 persons for monthly overnight trips
- May and October emerge as peak months for holiday, leisure and recreation trips
What the survey measured
The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey collects data on three types of travel: domestic overnight trips completed in the past year (for purposes like holidays, pilgrimage, health and shopping), overnight trips completed in the past month (for business, social visits, education), and same-day trips taken in the past month. For each trip, the survey records duration, transport mode, type of accommodation, total expenditure and destination state. The data helps the government understand travel patterns, spending behaviour and demand for tourism infrastructure.
Annual overnight trips: pilgrimage leads, health costs most
Nearly half of all overnight trips undertaken by Indian households in the previous year were for pilgrimage or religious purposes. Rural households made 127 such trips per 100 rural families reporting at least one overnight trip, while urban households made 132 trips per 100 urban families. This represents an increase since the previous survey in 2014-15, when rural households reported 118 trips and urban households reported 121 trips per 100 families.
Among rural households, health and medical travel is the second most common reason for overnight trips at 38.4 per cent, while urban households more frequently take trips for holidays, leisure and recreation (36.4 per cent). Most overnight journeys last five days or fewer. For holiday and leisure trips, May and October are the busiest months.
Transport costs dominate expenses for holiday trips, while health and medical journeys are the costliest overall. Rural households spend Rs. 29,454 on health-related overnight trips compared to Rs. 41,649 for urban households. For accommodation, rural families rely heavily on non-commercial stays like relative’s homes or employer-provided facilities (28 per cent), while urban families prefer hotels and guesthouses (36 per cent).
Monthly overnight trips: social visits predominate, business spending highest
When looking at trips taken in the previous 30 days, social visits dominate the travel landscape. Among rural households, 89 per cent of overnight trips are to visit friends and relatives, while urban households report similar patterns. Rural households report 113 such trips per 100 families and urban households report 111 trips per 100 families during any given month.
Business travel, though less frequent, involves the highest spending. Rural households spend Rs. 5,179 per business trip and urban households spend Rs. 6,934, substantially more than social visits or education-related travel. These trips typically last 2 to 3 days. Bus travel dominates for both rural (48 per cent) and urban (44 per cent) households, and friends or relatives’ homes remain the primary accommodation type.
Same-day trips: shopping and social outings most popular
Same-day trips are far more common than overnight travel. In the past month, 65.1 per cent of rural households and 46.2 per cent of urban households took at least one same-day trip. Social outings account for one-third of rural day trips (32 per cent) and more than one-third of urban day trips (37 per cent), while shopping represents 29 per cent of rural and 17 per cent of urban same-day trips. Shopping generates the highest expenditure among same-day trips, accounting for 51 per cent of spending in rural areas and 41 per cent in urban areas.
What this means for you
If you run a tourism business, the data shows that religious and pilgrimage destinations should expect sustained demand, particularly from rural visitors. Hotels and guesthouses in urban areas cater to a larger overnight market, while rural destinations benefit from family visit traffic. Health tourism is a growing segment with high spending potential, particularly among urban visitors. For policymakers and town planners, the data indicates strong demand for transport infrastructure connecting major destination states like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. Shopping destinations and health facilities should plan for heavy same-day visitor traffic.