There are "indications" about Malta featuring on a list of countries marked as safe for travel from England but the government will wait for official confirmation before commenting, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has said.
British news sites have speculated that Malta will be among a handful of countries on the so-called green list, which is set to be unveiled at 6pm [Malta time] on Friday.
Being on the list would mean tourists coming to the island would not have to quarantine upon their return to England.
"We do have an indication where Malta will be on the list but I will await the press conference [by the UK authorities] before commenting," Bartolo said during a press conference on Friday.
The Maltese government has been striving to get the island on this coveted list since the UK has traditionally been Malta's biggest tourism market. Local tourism authorities have been in talks with their British counterparts on creating mutually-recognised vaccine certificates to facilitate travel between the two countries.
People in England can be fined for holidaying abroad unless they have a valid reason to travel. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not said when they might ease their strict travel rules.
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo had previously said that the UK will be a big focus for the COVID-battered industry this summer, with marketing campaigns specifically targeting British tourists.
The government has also allocated a €20 million aid package to kickstart the devastated tourism industry, which over the past year had been brought to its knees by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has been allocated €3.5 million from that pot to offer tourists financial handouts if they book stays with local hotels directly. The measure is expected to impact some 35,000 tourists travelling to the island from June.
A separate scheme will see the MTA fork out some €3 million to travel agencies that bring tourists to Malta and Gozo, with funding going towards marketing and other incentives.
Meanwhile, a campaign to spruce up Malta kicked off on Tuesday and will continue for the rest of the month - just before the formal reopening of tourism takes place.
Some 450 workers have been deployed to work directly on the campaign.
Entry to Malta
In April, after months of being on Malta's red list, the UK was moved to the amber list, meaning travel between the two countries is now allowed.
Those flying to the island, however, must present either proof they have been fully vaccinated for at least 14 days or a negative COVID-19 test result.
For now, the documents are to presented by travellers upon arrival in Malta although Health Minister Chris Fearne has said this procedure would soon change. Instead, those flying to the island must present either of the two documents before boarding a plane or a ship.