Pilgrimage is nearly half of Indians’ overnight trips at home, says a national tourism spending survey
The National Statistics Office’s Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey finds 48% of overnight trips are for pilgrimage, with Uttar Pradesh the top destination state.
The survey
The National Statistics Office, part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, released the results of its Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey on 23 September 2026. It covers July 2025 to June 2026. ANI (carried by The Tribune) and UNI reported the findings; we could not open the ministry’s own factsheet, so the figures below are as those agencies report them.
The headline finding: 48% of overnight trips were made for pilgrimage or religious purposes. The second most common purpose differed between rural and urban households — health and medical travel for rural households (38.4%), and holidaying, leisure and recreation for urban households (36.4%).
Where Indians go, and how
Uttar Pradesh was the leading destination. For overnight trips for pilgrimage, holidays, health and shopping measured over a 365-day recall period, UP had 15.7% of trips, ahead of Tamil Nadu (13.4%) and Rajasthan (8%), UNI reports; UP also led a second, separately measured category. Other copies of the survey circulating give different state percentages — they appear to come from that second table — so treat only UP’s first place as settled. See Uttar Pradesh.
Buses were the main mode of transport for rural travellers (32% of trips) and trains for urban travellers (35%). Transport took 32.6% of rural and 37.3% of urban holiday spending. Urban travellers most often stayed in hotels or guesthouses (36%), while 28% of rural travellers used non-commercial accommodation such as friends’ and relatives’ homes. Trips have become more frequent since the last comparable survey in 2014–15: from 118 to 127 per 100 rural households, and from 121 to 132 per 100 urban households.
Why it matters for travellers
These are the official numbers behind something every Indian traveller notices: pilgrimage towns are among the most crowded places in the country for much of the year, and trains fill first. If you are planning a trip to a major temple town during the festival season now starting, book rail and rooms early and expect peak-season prices.
Sources
This report is based on the following published sources. Rules and schedules change — confirm with the issuing authority before you travel.
- Pilgrimage drives nearly half of India’s domestic overnight trips; UP emerges top destination: Govt survey — The Tribune (ANI), 23 September 2026
- UP leads domestic overnight travel, widens tourism push beyond pilgrimage: Survey — UNI, 24 September 2026
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