Faith-Based Travel Dominates Domestic Tourism
Pilgrimage and religious travel remain the primary driver of domestic tourism in India, accounting for nearly half of all overnight trips. According to the latest Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey for the period of July 2025 to June 2026, 48 percent of overnight trips undertaken for holidaying, leisure, pilgrimage, health, and shopping were for religious purposes.
This dominance was consistent across demographics, with religious travel representing 48 percent of trips in both rural and urban segments. However, the secondary motivations for travel diverged significantly between these groups. In rural areas, health and medical purposes were the second most common reason for travel, accounting for 38.4 percent of trips. In contrast, urban households were more likely to travel for holidaying, leisure, and recreation, which made up 36.4 percent of their overnight trips.
Rising Frequency of Travel
The survey also highlights a steady increase in the frequency of domestic travel over the past decade. Among households that undertook at least one overnight trip during the year, rural tourist households recorded an average of 127 trips per 100 households, up from 118 in 2014-15. Urban tourist households showed a similar upward trend, with 132 trips per 100 households compared to 121 in the earlier reference period.
Expenditure Patterns: Health is Costliest
While religious trips were the most frequent, they were not the most expensive. Health and medical travel emerged as the highest-cost category among the purposes tracked. The average expenditure for a health-related trip was Rs 29,454 for rural households and Rs 41,649 for urban households.
For holiday and leisure trips, transport was the largest non-package expense. Rural households spent 32.6 percent of their budget on transport, while urban households spent 37.3 percent. Food and accommodation followed, with rural households allocating 19.5 percent to food and 16.1 percent to accommodation. Urban households spent 17.9 percent on food and 17.6 percent on accommodation. Shopping also constituted a significant portion of expenditure, at 24.6 percent for rural and 21.2 percent for urban travelers.
Regional Hotspots and Short-Term Travel
Geographically, Uttar Pradesh was the leading destination, accounting for 15.7 percent of total visitor-trips. Tamil Nadu followed with 13.4 percent, and Rajasthan accounted for 8 percent.
A separate analysis of overnight travel within the preceding 30 days revealed different patterns. Social visits dominated this shorter reference period, making up 89 percent of trips. Buses were the preferred mode of transport, with a 48 percent share among rural visitors and 44 percent among urban visitors. Staying with friends and relatives was the most common accommodation choice for these short-term trips.
In this 30-day category, business trips generated the highest expenditure, with rural households spending an average of Rs 5,179 per trip and urban households spending Rs 6,934.