New Delhi, Sept. 30 -- India's domestic tourism story is usually told through tourist arrivals, hotel rooms and popular holiday destinations. Household survey data reveals a much larger and more interesting market.

The latest Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey (DTES), conducted by the National Statistics Office from July 2025 to June 2026, offers a picture of domestic tourists: why they travel, how they travel, where they stay and what they spend.

Read alongside earlier household tourism surveys, it points to an important conclusion: India does not have one domestic tourism market. It has several purpose-driven travel economies.

Consider why Indians travel. Among overnight trips covered by the 365-day reference period in 2025-26, 47.7...