The Nationalist Party is expected to launch its proposals for the recovery of the tourism sector this week with a tax deferral scheme and marketing grants.

Among the party’s over 100 proposals is a suggestion that  all taxes due by the hospitality industry for 2020 and 2021 will be paid over a five-year period (2022-2027), party sources told Times of Malta.

The proposals consist of a so-called ‘2 + 8 plan’, a  two-year post-pandemic recovery strategy and an eight-year long-term plan for the tourism industry as a whole – which includes indentifying new markets as well as the party’s suggestions for Air Malta.

Under the proposals,  all local licensed entities in the tourism sector running foreign marketing campaigns will be eligible for a grant of up to a maximum of €25,000 per year for the first two years of the post-COVID recovery period.

The party is also recommending free tourist COVID-19 testing hubs, two in Malta and one in Gozo and that all employees in the hospitality industry should be fully vaccinated by June 1.

There are also specific proposals aimed at Gozo and the southern part of Malta as well as all types of accommodation such as hotels, bed and breakfast establishments and self-catering units.

The tourism industry has suffered heavy losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government recently announced that tourists booking summer holidays to Malta directly through local hotels will receive a financial handout of up to €100 each.