London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 01, 2025

This is how much you could get paid to visit Malta this summer

This is how much you could get paid to visit Malta this summer

The Mediterranean island is working with hotels to provide some serious discounts as part of its COVID recovery.

Malta is the first country to confirm it will pay people to visit this summer, in an effort to recoup COVID-related tourism losses.

The Mediterranean island brings in a surplus of 2 million inbound travellers each year and hopes to encourage some of them back with its new scheme, Incentives for Free Independent Travellers (FIT).

Guests can expect to receive a government subsidy depending on the duration of their stay, the star-rating of the hotel visited and the area they go to. Whatever the government puts in will be matched by the hotels that sign up to the scheme, with a maximum saving of €200 per person.

The average fortnight accomodation for two people in Malta is approximately €1,400, meaning pairs could see their hotel stays discounted by almost a third.

Here’s what you need to know about the scheme and how to get involved.

Why Malta?


Because the island relies heavily on tourism. The sun-filled paradise is bursting with food, culture and seemingly endless beaches that make up more of its GDP than that of its neighbours Italy and Greece. Visitor numbers have dropped by 80 per cent in the past year, sending shockwaves through its economy.

Malta is one of the first European countries making concrete tourism plans because it has fared a lot better than others in coping with COVID cases.

In fact, its total case rate of the past year is less than what other countries have reached per day.

How much will I get paid?


This all depends on the type of hotel you’re staying in - up to €200 is up for grabs per person.

Tourists staying at five star hotels will get €100 off their stay, which will be matched by the Maltese government. The same applies to those staying in three and four star hotels, where each person will save a total of €100 and €175 respectively.

People visiting the neighbouring island of Gozo will be paid an additional 10 per cent discount for their stay.

Who is the scheme for?


The scheme is specifically catered to "free individual travellers" - meaning people who book their own trips rather than using a holiday package or agent. It aims to attract as many as 35,000 tourists.

Other than that, it’s open to anybody with a desire to explore the country without bringing COVID along with them.

When does the scheme start?


Malta intends to lift its travel restrictions on June 1st, so the scheme will begin then.

People could be holidaying in Malta by June


Will I need a vaccination?


Malta is opening its borders to any visitor that can provide proof they have been vaccinated over 10 days before arriving.

They’re able to invite foreign travellers back into the country with such confidence because their vaccine rollout is going incredibly well. After the UK, it is the best in Europe.

Where can I stay?


Applications are open to all hotels that want to get involved with the scheme. It is expected that the majority of locations around the island will get on board to appeal to as many visitors as possible, old and new.

Who is funding it?


It’s going to be less pricey than you might imagine, but still a huge investment.

The Tourism Authority has allocated €3.5m for the scheme, and hopes to attract 35,000 visitors through it.

Malta’s Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo says the scheme is “aimed at putting Malta’s hotels in a very competitive position as international tourism restarts”.

Is it safe to travel to Malta?


Malta is confident in making these plans because of a combination of its vaccination scheme and low case rates.

Everyone making travel plans is expected to follow the guidelines of their respective home and destination countries.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
Federal Reserve Independence Questioned Amid Trump’s Push to Reshape Central Bank
British Politics Faces Tumultuous Autumn After Summer of Rebellions and Rising Farage Momentum
US Appeals Court Rules Against Most Trump-Era Tariffs
UK Sought Broad Access to Apple Users’ Data, Court Filing Reveals
UK Bank Shares Dive Over Potential Tax on Sector
Germany’s Auto Industry Sheds 51,500 Jobs in First Half of 2025 Amid Deepening Crisis
Bruce Willis Relocated Due to Advanced Dementia
French and Korean Nuclear Majors Clash As EU Launches Foreign Subsidy Probe
EU Stands Firm on Digital Rules as Trump Warns of Retaliation
Getting Ready for the 3rd Time in Its History, Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for Teenagers
Argentine President Javier Milei Evacuated After Stones Thrown During Campaign Event
Denmark Confronts U.S. Diplomat Over Covert Trump-Linked Influence in Greenland
Starmer Should Back Away from ECHR, Says Jack Straw
Trump Demands RICO Charges Against George Soros and Son for Funding Violent Protests
Taylor Swift Announces Engagement to NFL Star Travis Kelce
France May Need IMF Bailout, Warns Finance Minister
Chinese AI Chipmaker Cambricon Posts Record Profit as Beijing Pushes Pivot from Nvidia
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
Ukraine Finally Allows Young Men Aged Eighteen to Twenty-Two to Leave the Country
The Porn Remains, Privacy Disappears: How Britain Broke the Internet in Ten Days
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Welcome to The Definition of Insanity: Germany Edition
Just a reminder, this is Michael Jackson's daughter, Paris.
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
×