THoD NewsDesk, Malta: In an attractive scheme aimed at reviving its tourism sector during the pandemic hit, Malta offers a handout of up to 200 euros ($238.10) to foreign tourists provided they stay at least three days on the Mediterranean island.
The 3.5 million euros scheme by the Malta Tourism Authority is all set to launch from June when the country will welcome tourists once again. To get ahead of its rival destinations who are offering deals on premium stays, Malta’s Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced this initiative on Friday. He said that the tourists ‘booking through the local five-star hotels this summer season would receive the benefit since the restrictions on international travel are expected to be lifted by June 1.’
Hammered by the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism sector, directly and indirectly, accounts for more than 27% of the country’s economy, as shown in the World Travel and Tourism Council data. In 2019 Malta attracted more than 2.7 million foreign tourists but the figures took a hit since the inception of the pandemic and fell by more than 80% since March 2020. Bartolo added that visitors booking accommodation at a five-star hotel will get 100 euros from Malta’s Tourism Authority, which will be matched by the hotel for a total of 200 euros. While those choosing a four-star hotel will receive 150 euros and similarly 100 euros for those accommodating at a three-star hotel.
To sweeten the deal, visitors will be paid slightly more to make bookings on the island of Gozo, which is three kilometres (two miles) north of the mainland. This step is aimed at ‘putting Malta’s hotels in a very competitive position as International tourism bounces back’, said Bartolo.
With 42% of its adult population once vaccinated, Malta is expecting to benefit some 35,000 visitors through the scheme. The country saw a sharp drop in new Covid-19 cases and positivity rate, which is down to 2.6%, and the proposal to introduce vaccine passports to facilitate restriction-free travel has been pitched to the EU by the government.
Bartolo added that the government is also working on making way for the British to the islands over the summer, whose inhabitants account for a third of tourists in the former British colony.
