OREANDA-NEWS. The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the report titled “Key Indicators of Domestic Tourism in India” based on the related information collected during July, 2014 to June, 2015 as a part of NSS 72nd Round. Similar survey on the same subject was last conducted by NSSO during July 2008 - June 2009 as part of NSS 65th Round.

The Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey was designed to collect detailed information on tourism expenditure alongwith some information on household characteristics, visitor characteristics and trip characteristics relating to domestic overnight trips. The information is required inter-alia for preparation of third Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) by Ministry of Tourism. In addition, some information on trips and expenditure were also collected in this survey in connection with domestic same-day trips.

The survey covered the whole of the Indian Union. The results of the survey are based on the sample canvassed by NSSO, consisting of 8,001 villages and 6,061 urban blocks, respectively, spread over all States and Union Territories of the country. The total number of households in which the Schedule was canvassed was 79,497 and 60,191 in rural and urban India respectively during the period July, 2014 –June, 2015.

Some key findings on various aspects of Domestic Tourism in the country as obtained from the survey are as follows:

I. Households reporting overnight trip

• During last 365 days from the date of survey, 19% of Indian households reported at least one overnight trip with any one of the leading purposes as holidaying, leisure & recreation, health & medical and shopping.

• During last 30 days from the date of survey, 21% of Indian households reported at least one overnight trip with any one of the leading purposes as business, social, religious & pilgrimage, education & training and others

. II. Characteristics of overnight trips • Majority of overnight trips at all-India level (287.2 lakhs from rural and 79.2 lakhs from urban areas), completed during last 365 days, were for the leading purpose of health & medical.

• Social trips were the most common ones among the trips completed during last 30 days (501.9 lakhs overnight trips at all-India level) followed by trips for religious & pilgrimage leading purpose (4.85 lakhs trips).

III. Percentage of single female member overnight trips among all single member overnight trips for various leading purposes

• Nearly half (48%) of all single member trips undertaken by members from a particular household were performed by females in both rural and urban areas for leading purpose health & medical.

• For the business purpose trips, the above proportion for female was very low (2%).

IV. Month of visit (starting month)

• Summer season (i.e. May-June) was the peak period for undertaking a trip with leading purpose holidaying, leisure & recreation, whereas, for shopping trips it was winter (December-February).

• Religious & pilgrimage trips were started more frequently during the months of July and August.

V. Visitor-trip characteristics

- Nearly 23% of visitor-trips in rural areas were for holidaying as visitor’s purpose, whereas for urban areas this share was about 59%.

- The share of visitor-trips for heath & medical purposes from rural areas (48%) was nearly twice than that from urban areas (25%).

- More than 80% of overnight visitor-trips completed during last 30 days, were for social purpose both in rural and urban areas.

VI. Mode of travel

• Bus was the dominant mode of travel (70% & 55% of visitor-trips in rural and urban areas respectively) for the visitor-trips with any one of the leading purposes being as business, social, religious & pilgrimage, education & training and others, completed during last 30 days.

VII. Trip duration

• Average number of nights spent on overnight visitor-trips during last 365 days with any one of the leading purposes as holidaying, leisure & recreation, health & medical and shopping were 5.4 nights and 6.7 nights in rural and urban areas respectively.

VIII. Main destination

• At all-India level, main destination of most of the overnight visitor-trips (over 80%) was within the States.

• For visitor-trips from outside States with any one of the leading purposes as business, social, religious & pilgrimage, education & training and others, Uttar Pradesh (12.7 lakhs) was the most visited State followed by Andhra Pradesh & Telangana combined (nearly 8.7 lakhs) and Rajasthan (nearly 8.6 lakhs).

IX. Expenditure on overnight trips

• Health & medical trips were the costliest overnight trips with average expenditure per trip of ? 15,336 followed by trips with leading purpose of shopping (? 13,902).

X. Same-day trips

• Shopping (35%) and social (34%) were the two most frequent purposes for same-day trips undertaken by the rural households, whereas, from urban areas nearly half of the trips were for social purposes.

• Average expenditure on same-day trip combining all leading purposes was ? 620 at all-India level.

The publication based on above cited Key Indicator is available on the website (www.mospi.gov.in ) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.