Foreign travellers to the destination will receive up to €200 (£173.59) from the Maltese government if they stay for at least three days on the Meditteranean island.

In an effort to revive its tourism industry – which has been halted almost completely due to Covid – Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced the scheme last week.

‘The scheme is aimed at putting Malta’s hotels in a very competitive position as international tourism restarts,’ he said.

The amount paid to holidaymakers will depend on the hotel star rating chosen. For example, booking in at a five-star hotel will mean you get €100 euros from Malta’s Tourism Authority, which will be matched by the hotel for a total of €200.

Those opting for a four-star hotel will receive a total of €150 and those booking a three-star hotel will receive €100.

Booking in Gozo (a Maltese island two miles north of the mainland) will add a 10% boost to your grant.

Hotels will need to be booked directly it seems, so check before you commit to make sure.

As well as these payments, the tourist board has said they’re keen to welcome Brits who’ve been fully vaccinated as of July 1.

At present it’s not known when the British government will permit international travel, with a ban on all non-essential foreign journeys in place until at least May 17.

When this change happens, there will be a traffic light system showing the requirements for testing and quarantine.

Whether Malta will be green, red, or amber is yet to be seen.