Two large British tour operators have made a commitment to bring over a minimum number of tourists to the island each year in return for a fee to support their marketing efforts.

The Malta Tourism Authority signed a four-year agreement with Thomas Cook and a three-year deal with Saga Holidays.

The agreements provide the two companies with an incentive to bring more tourists over with each passing year.

The support they will get will encompass all facets of their marketing, ranging from joint television and print advertising to online activity and high street exposure.

An MTA spokesman stopped short of disclosing figures, such as the target figures for tourists or the money involved in the deals, saying "these are commercial agreements with commercial companies that are in competition with others".

Thomas Cook Group plc is one of the world's leading travel groups, operating a portfolio of market-leading travel brands in 21 markets.

Saga Holidays is an operator specialising in more than 50 travel markets, providing holidays to worldwide destinations, including cruises on its ships. Malta is also being recognised as one of Saga's key destinations in its forthcoming programmes.

The MTA said the move shows its intention to move away from short-term season-by-season agreements, focusing on long-term incremental business instead.

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco said: "The operators are showing their faith in Malta as a strong tourism destination for UK visitors in the coming years.

"Likewise, the MTA is endorsing the importance of tour operator traffic, where in an ever-evolving marketplace, packaged travel remains a key component of the overall business mix delivery to the islands."

MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci, who was in London for the signing of the agreements last week with Dr de Marco and MTA chairman Louis Farrugia, said the agreements demonstrated the operators' commitment to Malta.