Urban Travelers Favor Hotels Over Rural Dharamshalas
Most urban travelers in India prefer hotels, guesthouses, or house rentals for overnight domestic trips, while dharamshalas are the top choice for rural travelers. A recent survey by the National Statistical Office (NSO) reveals that over three-fourths of Indians who traveled in the past year did so for medical or pilgrimage reasons. The average expenditure for these trips was Rs 16,420 for urban travelers and Rs 15,560 for rural travelers, with nearly 64% of trips lasting up to three nights.
The NSO survey, conducted from July 2025 to June 2026, defined an overnight trip as travel lasting at least 12 hours over two consecutive calendar days. It noted an increase in domestic travel frequency over the past decade compared to the previous survey in 2014-15. In rural areas, there were 127 trips for every 100 tourist households, up from 118 in 2014-15. Urban areas saw 132 trips per 100 households, an increase from 121.
While 22% of Indian households undertook trips for holidays or leisure, only 12.5% of rural households did so, compared to 36.4% in urban areas. The survey also indicated that more than 95% of religious and leisure trips were self-financed, with only 8% of overnight trips for health purposes receiving government reimbursement. In terms of transportation, buses were the primary mode for rural travelers at 32%, while trains were preferred by 35% of urban travelers. Most travel expenditures, nearly 35%, were on transport, particularly for religious or leisure trips, while medical trips saw about 75% of expenses going toward medicine.
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