A European country grants 200 euros to every tourist who visits this summer

Malta plans to offer 200 euros ($ 238.10) to every tourist who decided to stay at least three days on the Mediterranean island this summer.

On Friday, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo announced the plan, and said that with most restrictions related to the Coronavirus expected to be lifted, tourists who book summer holidays directly through local hotels will receive the grant.

Data from the World Travel and Tourism Council shows that the tourism sector directly and indirectly represents more than 27 percent of the country's economy, but the sector has been affected by the Coronavirus epidemic.

The country attracted more than 2.7 million foreign visitors in 2019, but the numbers have fallen by more than 80% since the virus emerged in March 2020.

Bartolo said that tourists who book to stay in a five-star hotel will get 100 euros from the Malta Tourism Authority, which corresponds to 200 euros from the hotel.

Those who choose a four-star hotel will receive a total of 150 euros, and those who book a three-star hotel will receive 100 euros.

The grant is increased by 10% when hotel reservations are made on the tiny Maltese island of Gozo, three kilometers north of the mainland.

The plan aims to put Malta's hotels in a competitive position as international tourism resumes, the official said.

It is expected that some 35,000 visitors will benefit from the plan.

Malta reached the highest rate of vaccination against Corona in the European Union after it was able to vaccinate 42 percent of adults with at least one dose.

The country recorded a significant decrease in the number of cases of coronavirus infection, as the rate of positive cases decreased to 2.6 percent, and the government is urging the European Union to introduce vaccine passports to facilitate travel.

Bartolo revealed that he had also held talks to encourage travel between Malta and Britain, whose population accounts for a third of the tourists in the former British colony.