Mumbai, June 26 (TIWN) The Covid-19 related travel curbs in different parts of the country has had a lasting impact on the track and tourism industry.

With mobility restricted, less Indians were travelling for non-essential work for most part of the last year.  Now with the second wave of the pandemic subsiding and people are coming out, the most pertinent question in the travel industry is whether finally leisure travel will pick up pace? What will be the trend in the post-Covid world?  A survey by Thomas Cook India and SOTC Travel as part of their Third Holiday Readiness Report has found that people's interest in travel has increased tremendously during the month with several expressing desire to start travel immediately to get over the period of relative immobility brought about by the pandemic.  A significant 69 per cent of the respondents in the survey indicated keen interest to travel in 2021 post ease in restrictions -- with 18 per cent ready to travel immediately post unlock and 51 per cent within the next 3-6 months. 

What has changed from pre-Covid period to now is that people are increasingly preferring travel choices that provide hygienic staying options coupled with best safety protocols.  In the survey, 70 per cent respondents ranked health & safety as the key consideration while re-sanitation of rooms was selected by 52 per cent respondents as a key requirement.