time to explore with esplora
€95,000,000 allocated to the tourism industry in the Budget 2021
No less than €95,000,000 has been allocated to the tourism sector during the Budget for 2021, the highest ever allocated to this sector.
Not to mention that it shows an increase of €10,000,000 over the amount allocated for the year 2020.
The budget for the year 2021 was released earlier this month and where tourism is concerned, it focused highly on the sustainability of the tourism industry. To this end, a plan will be drawn up based on three main pillars:
Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli addressed the super plan at a news conference and said:
“In addition to the €95,000,000 specifically allocated to tourism, another €30,000,000 must be added in order to be spent on restaurants, hotels and other tourist accommodations. €30,000,000, that are coming from the €50,000,000 in the form of vouchers are, once again, being given out by the government to all those aged 16 and over. Of every €100 voucher that is given out to every individual, €60 must be spent on restaurants, hotels and other touristic accommodation. This is a measure that will serve as a reassurance for those involved in these sectors.”
The minister added that the government is indeed determined to save jobs in every economic sector in the country, including that of tourism. The extension of the COVID-19 supplement until March 2021 means that thousands of jobs will be saved, she added.
With regards to the sustainability of the sector, Farrugia Portelli said that next month, a public consultation exercise will be launched with all those involved in the sector. In this way, they will be able to discuss any and all themes and strategies.
“The message is clear. Post-pandemic tourism needs to be based on the foundations of recovering what we have lost, reformulating the sector and revitalising it on the basis of quality and competitiveness. We must recover what we have lost and this is why we will be looking at a strategy of quality, rather than of numbers, a strategy that will lead us into the next decade,” added the minister.
