New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- Pilgrimage and religious travel accounted for nearly half of domestic overnight trips in India, while Uttar Pradesh emerged as the most visited destination, according to a government survey released on Wednesday.

The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey, conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) between July 2025 and June 2026, showed that 48 per cent of overnight trips covered under the 365-day reference period were undertaken for pilgrimage and religious purposes.

"The highest share of trips was reported for 'pilgrimage & religious' purposes (48%) by both sectors," the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said on the survey.

Among rural households, health and medical travel was the second-...