New Delhi, September 23, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Pilgrimage and religious activities emerged as the leading purpose of overnight domestic travel in India, accounting for around 48 out of every 100 overnight trips, according to the Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (DTES) conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The survey, conducted from July 2025 to June 2026, found that health and medical purposes accounted for another 30 out of every 100 overnight trips completed during the previous 365 days.
The findings showed that 127 overnight trips were generated for every 100 rural tourist households—households reporting at least one overnight trip during the reference period—compared with 118 in 2014-15. For urban tourist households, the corresponding figure rose to 132 trips from 121 in 2014-15.
The survey also recorded an increase in same-day travel. During the preceding 30 days, 65.1 per cent of rural households and 46.2 per cent of urban households undertook at least one same-day trip, compared with 57.1 per cent and 40.6 per cent, respectively, in 2014-15.
Social visits dominated overnight travel undertaken during the last 30 days, accounting for 89 out of every 100 such trips. However, business trips recorded the highest average expenditure, at Rs 5,949 per trip.
Among same-day trips, social visits accounted for 33 per cent and shopping for 26 per cent, making them the two most common purposes. Shopping accounted for the largest share of expenditure in both rural and urban areas.
Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest share of visitor-trips as the main destination, at 15.5 per cent, followed by Bihar at 10.5 per cent and Tamil Nadu at 9.6 per cent, combining visitors from within the state and from other states.
The average trip size was 2.03 overnight visitors per trip, while around 80 per cent of visitors stayed for five days or less. May and October emerged as the peak months for domestic overnight trips undertaken for holidays, leisure and recreation during the preceding 365 days.
Travel preferences also differed by location. Buses accounted for the largest share of visitor-trips among rural households, at 32 per cent, while trains were the most commonly used mode among urban households, accounting for 35 per cent.
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