The "staycation" travel trend will dominate the upcoming three-day New Year holiday with Chinese travelers responding to the government's call to avoid unnecessary trips outside their hometowns to curb the spread of COVID-19, travel operators said.

Almost all hot spring hotels in Shanghai have no vacancies on New Year's Eve and January 1, with only a few rooms left on January 2.

Shanghai resident Ma Ruiting was among those who are left making a booking too late.