Indians on an average spent more than Rs 15,000 on overnight trips for health and medical reasons during July 2014 and June 2015, with shopping coming down the order, according to NSSO's latest survey.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) today released findings of its report -- Key Indicators of Domestic Tourism in India -- as part of the NSS 72nd Round, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) said in a statement.
"Health and medical trips were the costliest overnight trips with average expenditure per trip of Rs 15,336 followed by those with the leading purpose of shopping (Rs 13,902)," the report revealed.
In the current round, an overnight trip is defined as duration of stay of more than 12 hours, including midnight 12 to 5 am, whereas in the previous round, the duration covered at least two calendar days, wholly or partly.
The results of the survey, which covered whole of India, are based on the NSSO sample which consisted of 8,001 villages and 6,061 urban blocks spread over all the states and Union Territories.
"During last 365 days from the date of the survey, 19 per cent of Indian households reported at least one overnight trip with any one of the leading purposes as holidaying, leisure and recreation, health and medical and shopping," the report said.
A majority of overnight trips at all-India level (287.2 lakh from rural and 79.2 lakh from urban areas), which were completed during the last 365 days, were for the major purpose of health and medical, it added.
"Nearly half (48 per cent) 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 of health and medical," it revealed.
Summer (May-June) was the peak period for undertaking a trip for the primary purpose of holidaying, leisure and recreation, whereas winter (December-February) was the preferred season for shopping trips.
Religious and pilgrimage trips happened more frequently during July and August.
The share of visitor trips for heath and medical purpose from rural areas (48 per cent) was nearly twice that of urban areas (25 per cent).
"Average number of nights spent on overnight visitor trips during last 365 days with any one of leading purposes as holidaying, leisure and recreation, health and medical and shopping were 5.4 nights and 6.7 nights in rural and urban areas, respectively," the report said.
At an all-India level, the main destination of most of the overnight visitor trips -- over 80 per cent -- was within states.
