Domestic travellers are the backbone of most independent hotels in India. This guide pulls together the official numbers for 2025, the latest year available, with a source for every figure, and is honest about what the data doesn’t tell you.
How many domestic tourists does India have?
India recorded 428.55 crore domestic tourist visits in 2025, up 45.5% from 294.53 crore in 2024, according to the Ministry of Tourism’s India Tourism Data Compendium 2026, published in September 2026.[1] The ministry notes that the 2025 figure includes visits during the Kumbh Mela.[1]
| Year | Domestic tourist visits | Change on previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 232.20 crore | +25.3% |
| 2022 | 173.10 crore | +155.5% |
| 2023 | 250.88 crore | +44.9% |
| 2024 (revised) | 294.53 crore | +17.4% |
| 2025 | 428.55 crore | +45.5% |
Source: India Tourism Data Compendium 2026, Table 4.1.1.[1]
2025 is the highest figure in the ministry’s series, which starts in 1991. A large part of the jump came from Uttar Pradesh, whose visits rose from 64.68 crore in 2024 to 155.74 crore in 2025 with the Kumbh Mela.[1] Leaving Uttar Pradesh out, visits across the rest of India grew from about 229.85 crore in 2024 to 272.81 crore in 2025, roughly 18.7%. That’s our calculation from the official table, and it shows growth well beyond one event.
What these numbers count. They’re visits, not people. State and UT tourism departments compile them, mostly from monthly returns filed by hotels and other accommodation establishments, and the ministry adds estimates where needed.[1] One traveller who stays in three places can be counted three times. The numbers are best used for comparing years and states, not for counting individual travellers.
Which states get the most domestic tourists?
Uttar Pradesh led in 2025, and five states together accounted for 67.4% of all domestic tourist visits.[1]
| Rank | State | 2024 (crore) | 2025 (crore) | Change | Share of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttar Pradesh | 64.68 | 155.74 | +140.8% | 36.3% |
| 2 | Tamil Nadu | 30.68 | 36.29 | +18.3% | 8.5% |
| 3 | Andhra Pradesh | 28.73 | 35.39 | +23.2% | 8.3% |
| 4 | Karnataka | 30.46 | 32.05 | +5.2% | 7.5% |
| 5 | West Bengal | 18.45 | 29.43 | +59.5% | 6.9% |
| 6 | Maharashtra (estimated) | 18.94 | 27.56 | +45.5% | 6.4% |
| 7 | Rajasthan | 23.01 | 25.25 | +9.7% | 5.9% |
| 8 | Gujarat | 18.40 | 22.04 | +19.8% | 5.1% |
| 9 | Madhya Pradesh | 13.32 | 13.96 | +4.8% | 3.3% |
| 10 | Telangana | 8.82 | 8.49 | -3.8% | 2.0% |
Source: India Tourism Data Compendium 2026, Table 4.1.2. Percentages are calculated from the table. The ministry estimated Maharashtra’s (and Delhi’s) 2025 figures by applying the all-India growth rate to 2024, so treat that row with care.[1]
Where does Rajasthan rank?
Rajasthan ranked seventh for domestic tourist visits in 2025, with 25.25 crore visits, up 9.74% from 23.01 crore in 2024 and 5.89% of the national total.[1] For foreign tourist visits it ranked sixth, with 19.45 lakh visits, down 6.14% from 20.72 lakh, and 7.70% of the national total.[1]
Rajasthan grew more slowly than the national total in 2025, but the national figure was pushed up by the Kumbh Mela. For a closer look at the state, its cities and its seasons, see Rajasthan tourism trends.
When do Indians travel most?
There’s no official national month-by-month breakdown of domestic visits in the ministry’s compendium, so any claim about “the busiest month for domestic travel in India” should be treated with caution.[1] What the sources do show:
- Long weekends matter. In Thomas Cook and SOTC’s India Holiday Report 2025, 47% of respondents said they intend to use long weekends and public holidays for short getaways.[4] The survey covered over 2,500 people, a mix of the companies’ customers and non-customers.
- Purpose shapes timing. Pilgrimage and religious travel was the largest purpose of overnight trips in the past year, at 48%, according to the Ministry of Statistics’ Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey for July 2025 to June 2026, as reported by The Tribune.[2] Religious calendars and festivals move a lot of travel.
Seasons differ sharply from one destination to another: a hill station’s peak is a desert city’s quiet time. Your own occupancy history is the most reliable calendar you have.
How do domestic travellers travel and book?
Official data on booking channels doesn’t exist at the national level, so be wary of precise claims. Here’s what’s available:
- The government is measuring trips in more detail. The Ministry of Statistics’ Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey covered July 2025 to June 2026 and collected spending on accommodation, food, transport, shopping and more for overnight trips, along with the origin and destination state of each trip.[3] Early reports of its results focus on trip purposes and spending.[2]
- AI tools are entering planning. In Agoda’s 2026 Travel Outlook, 33% of Indian travellers said they already use AI for travel planning.[6]
- Social media shapes choices. In the Thomas Cook and SOTC survey, 60% of respondents said social media, OTT platforms and movies increasingly shape their travel decisions.[4]
- Booking is split between direct and OTAs. A global Skift Research and McKinsey report, covered in September 2026, found 43% of travellers booked directly through an airline or hotel website and 42% used an OTA.[5] That’s a global figure, not an Indian one.
What this means for hotel owners
National numbers tell you the market is growing. Your own data tells you what to do about it.
- Know your source cities. Pull a year of bookings and list where guests came from. That’s your real market, and it usually includes a few cities within driving distance.
- Know your own season. Plot occupancy by month for the last two years. Plan prices and promotions from that, not from national averages.
- Check your booking mix. What share came from each OTA, from your website, from WhatsApp and from walk-ins? It’s the starting point for reducing OTA commission.
- Be findable where planning starts. With AI tools and social media shaping choices, consistent, specific information about your hotel online matters more each year.
For the wider picture, read India travel trends 2026, and for short-break demand, why weekend getaways matter for small hotels. If you’d like help being found where planning starts, our AI Visibility Optimization service makes hotels easier for AI assistants and search engines to find and recommend.