New Delhi, May 24 (IANS): A survey by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has shown that around 71 per cent people in the country would prefer domestic travel in the coming months, while only 1.4 per cent people wanted to travel abroad.

However, the report showed that 27.6 per cent respondents in the survey would like to travel both in India and abroad.

Around 33.3 per cent respondents said that they would like to travel within one month of the lockdown restrictions being lifted. Another 30.5 per cent said that they would travel within 3 months.

As per the survey which was conducted in north India, around 29 per cent people would like to travel within six months of the curbs being eased and just 7.1 per cent would venture out more than 1 year after the lockdown.

Further, business travel and outing with family are the two biggest reasons for travel. The two reasons account for over two-thirds of responses.

Star-rated hotels are the most preferred place of stay for respondents, as 45.2 per cent preferring them. Around 21 per cent have shown preference for staying in resorts.

Use of protective gear comes across as the most important precaution that tourists would like to take during travel with Aarogya Setu app being the preferred choice of around one-fifth of respondents.

Stressing on the impact of the lockdown on the tourism sector and the need for government support, Nikhil Sawhney, Chairman, CII Northern Region, said: "Given the nature of the tourism sector, it is first to be impacted and last to recover. The sector generates mass employment, even in remote areas, and it is critical that the government looks at the package to cover the tourism and hospitality sector under various policies announced".

The survey was conducted across seven states and three union territories of north India, including Chandigarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.