Macau is struggling without a stream of tourists, and a mix of consumer fear and government precaution isn’t helping to solve that any time soon. So, without many options available, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is looking inward, and hopes to start a successful staycation campaign.

In a Saturday address to local media, director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes revealed that as many as 47,000 people have participated in local tourist routes launched under the “Vamos Macau” (Macao Go) banner. 15 of these routes have been designed by the Macau government to boost the local economy.

The popularity of these routes have the MGTO looking to launch more itineraries to meet demand, but choosing what businesses and locations will make a route successful is tricky, the director noted, because residents are more interested in indoor and family activies. “There are many uncertainties that lead us to make several adjustments,” she said.

The government has subsidized this kind of activity, but Senna Fernandes could not clarify if businesses like hotels or casino concessionaires would be eligible for such funding. The casinos have been running their own initiatives to get locals in the doors, but the director noted they are struggling. “I believe that during Monday to Friday, a majority of people here would not choose to stay at hotels,” she said. “Even for the fact that the hotels are offering some promotions, people tend to choose [to stay] during weekends because they want to use the resorts’ facilities.”