Taipei, June 4 (CNA) A total of 78 percent of Taiwanese surveyed in a recent poll said they are interested in taking short local trips, a jump compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an online poll conducted by Mastercard Inc., 78 percent of the 500 respondents said they are interested in taking two-to-three-day trips around the country, an increase from the 48 percent who said they wanted to do so before the pandemic hit.

The rise in interest could be attributed to the stabilization of the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan, coupled with the state of the pandemic globally and regulations imposed on the entry of travelers from abroad.

For domestic travelers, the most popular destinations are Hualian and Taitung counties in eastern Taiwan, as well as the country's outlying islands, which received 58 percent of the votes, Mastercard said Thursday.

The southern city of Tainan, which garnered 11 percent of the votes, came in second place, followed by central Taiwan's Taichung, Changhua County and Nantou County at 10 percent.

More than half of the respondents said they would be willing to spend between NT$5,000 (US$165.8) and NT$8,000 on local trips, while 45 percent said they were planning trips over the next three months, Mastercard said.

According to the survey results, travelers most often rely on recommendations on the Internet to determine where to go, and whether a place offers high-quality accommodation at low cost is also a deciding factor.

In terms of accommodation, 43 percent of the respondents said they would prefer to stay in a bed and breakfast with a local flavor, while 26 percent said they would prefer a boutique hotel, Mastercard said.