Domestic Tourism Expenditure Survey, NSS 80th round of July 2025 to June 2026

Sampling frame for selection of FSUs: The sampling frame for urban sector is the list of Urban Frame Survey (UFS) blocks as per the latest UFS and for rural sector, it is the list of villages as per Census 2011 updated by removing those villages which are urbanized and included in latest UFS (till the time of sample selection). Sometimes, with a view to ensuring uniformity in the size of FSUs and for operational convenience, large villages/UFS blocks are notionally divided into smaller units of more or less equal size, known as sub-units using a pre-defined criteria based on population in the village or number of households in the UFS block. Stratification of FSUs: The primary geographical unit, called basic stratum within a state/UT for rural and urban sectors, was a district. Rural Sector: (i) A Special Stratum comprising of all the uninhabited villages as per Census 2011 was formed at all-India level. (ii) The remaining villages within each district constituted a separate stratum. Urban Sector: Two or more strata were formed in urban areas of each basic stratum with the following criteria: (i) Each million plus city as per census 2011 was considered as a separate stratum. (ii) Rest of the urban areas of the district constituted another stratum. Sub-stratification of FSUs: In rural sector, the number of groups to be formed within a rural stratum (which is a district excluding all uninhabited villages) depended on the sample size allocated to the stratum based on its population size. The minimum allocation to be done in a stratum was 4 FSUs. In each stratum with more than 4 allotted FSUs (i.e., where n > 4), 2 or more groups (sub-strata) were formed. For formation of these sub-strata, the villages within a stratum were ordered in terms of its population size, then these ordered villages were clubbed into n/4 groups such that each group would comprise of a set of villages (all SUs of a village considered together) of the arranged frame and had more or less equal population. In the urban sector, sub-strata were formed in those strata where the allotted number of FSUs was more than 4 (i.e., n>4). For all strata with n >4, all the UFS blocks within the strata were first arranged in ascending order of total number of households in the UFS blocks as per urban frame. Then sub-strata were demarcated in such a way that each sub-stratum would comprise a group of UFS blocks (all SUs of a block considered together) having more or less equal number of households. If the number of blocks in a particular stratum was very small, no sub-stratum was formed in the stratum. Allocation of FSUs: Based on projected population (as on 1st March 2025) for each district the allocation of FSUs (urban blocks or village or subunits) was adjusted to ensure uniformity in the population distribution across Sample FSUs within each State/UT. For special stratum formed in rural areas, 24 FSUs were allocated. Sample Size: Around 24,778 FSUs were surveyed for the central sample at all-India level. A minimum of 16 FSUs (8 each for the rural and urban sector) were allocated to each State/ UT. Allocation to sub-strata: Allocation of FSUs for each sub-stratum was 4 in both rural and urban sectors. Selection of FSUs within stratum/sub-stratum The required number of FSUs (which is the annual allocation within the given stratum × sub-stratum) was selected by SRSWOR from each of the stratum / sub-stratum. Selection of households The required number of sample households from each SSS were selected through SRSWOR.