Countries have been getting creative in trying to find ways to entice people to visit once the COVID dust settles a little. In an attempt to do so, Malta has come up with a scheme that will pay money to every traveller heading to Malta (terms and conditions apply, of course) and it was recently mentioned in Forbes.
“The latest place to start enticing travellers with cash is the glamorous European island nation of Malta, which will pay you to visit this summer—if you can get there, that is,” the article reads, noting that travel from the US to Malta is currently banned.
“Here’s how it works: The Malta Tourism Authority will pay money to each traveler for booking a three-night stay at select hotels. And the plan is tiered: You’ll get €100 (about $119) per person for booking a five-star hotel, €75 (about $89) for a four-star property and €50 (about $60) for a three-star,” the writer goes on to say, mentioning that these payments will also be matched by the hotels that travellers will stay from the select list, essentially meaning that the payment will be doubled. “And it keeps getting better: Travelers who go to Malta’s smaller island of Gozo will get an additional 10 per cent on top of the payout.”
“The scheme is aimed at putting Malta’s hotels in a very competitive position as international tourism restarts,” Clayton Bartolo, Malta’s tourism minister, said in a statement, with Forbes noting that this will cost the islands roughly €3,500,000.
As we all know, tourism has yet to open but a target date has been set for June. Health authorities however keep saying that assessments will be done closer to target dates to see whether a reopening is feasible.
Forbes went on to mention Malta’s decrease in cases noting it has “the highest vaccination rate in the EU, with 42 per cent of adults having received at least one dose."
“But back to the travel deal. Given how lucrative it is, we think this is a good moment to start dreaming about a trip to Malta—a place that is known for its rich history, gorgeous beaches, cinematic backdrops, and more.” Quite the compliment!