Small operators in tourist accommodation to receive €1.5 million for marketing campaigns

Guest houses, boutique hotels, holiday furnished premises, hostels and two-star hotels will be benefitting from a €1.5 million to carry out marketing campaigns as the country aims for recovery in tourism.

Announcing the scheme on Friday afternoon, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said the incentive will help the accommodation owners to market their property ahead of summer.

Guest houses and boutique hotels will be granted €1,000 for every establishment, while holiday furnished premises and hostels will be given €250 for every property.

Two-star hotels will be receiving €500.  

“We have to help accommodation owners make use of the full marketing potential they have, even at a digital level,” he said.

Applicants which qualify for the scheme are to present the required documentation to the Malta Tourism Authority.

Government has set 1 June as a target date for reopening the tourism sector as the country exits gradually from the COVID-19 restrictions.

Conference tourism aid scheme

In another €4 million scheme, government announced incentives for the conference sector, with subsidies varying according to the level of expenditure by the foreign entity.

The scheme is open for activities which will be held between 2021 and 2022, with the potential turnover for the country’s economy set at €40 million.

The minister warned that any activities related to tourism will only be permitted once allowed by the Public Health Superintendent Charmaine Gauci.

Bartolo also said that schemes announced by government last week have been met well by the sector.