Skip to content

Malta is paying some travelers to go on holiday this summer

April 12, 2021
2 min read
Passenger boatss visiting Blue Grotto, Malta
Malta is paying some travelers to go on holiday this summer
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

After planning to lift most travel restrictions related to COVID-19 by June 1, Malta is now looking at ways to revive its tourism industry.

In light of doing that, Malta plans to offer incoming tourists a handout of up to $238 when they book a local hotel through the hotel website for a minimum of two nights, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced last week.

Sign up to receive the daily TPG newsletter for more travel news!

The total compensation offered to a traveler is determined by the hotel's ranking. Where a five-star property will get you the full 200 euro, a four-star hotel will get you 150 euro (about $179) and a three-star hotel will get you 100 euro (about $119). The compensation can be upped an extra 10% by booking a hotel on the Maltese island of Gozo, just north of the main island, according to Reuters.

Malta plans to reopen to fully vaccinated Britons as of June 1, with their vaccination card as proof. It's possible that the country could reopen to American tourists in the not-too-distant future.

There was never a better reason to splurge at Malta's recently renovated InterContinental Hotel (Photo courtesy of the hotel)

When looking at vaccination levels, Malta is one of the safest EU countries to plan travel to. It's already given at least one dose of a vaccine to 42% of adults as of last week. Given the successful vaccination program, Malta ranks as one of the highest in the EU in terms of overall vaccination levels. The positivity rate, reflecting the number of tests returning a positive result, has fallen to a low 2.6%.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

Related: What does the 'traffic light' travel announcement mean for my summer holiday?

Malta has been steadily relying on tourism as an important source of income, directly and indirectly accounting for more than 27% of the Maltese economy. In 2020, visitor numbers fell by more than 80%. Malta's Tourism Authority is aiming to benefit some 35,000 travelers with this scheme.

Featured image by Small boats with passengers and natural rock formations of Blue Grotto, on southeast coast of Malta. Every day from sunrise until about 1 pm a unique sight can be observed here: location of cave combined with sunlight lead to water mirroring showing numerous shades of blue. Several caverns mirror brilliant phosphorescent colours of underwater flora; other caverns show a deep dark shade of blue. Popular destination for tourists with boat trips to visit caves, scuba diving snorkeling and rock climbing being most popular activities here. (Photo by Barry Winiker/Getty Images)
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.