Bengaluru, (IANS) In a bid to promote tourism to the state, Karnataka’s Department of Tourism on Thursday appointed 111 Tourist Guides and 298 ‘Tourist Mitras’.

The tourist guides who went through a Comprehensive Guide Training Programme at five universities were issued guide licenses and identity cards, while “Tourist Mitras” are part of a programme of the Department of Tourism and the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) in association with the state Home Department.

“The Tourist Mitras will be working in co-ordination with the local police stations. They have been given basic training to provide information on art, culture, cuisine, heritage, etiquette, first aid, disaster control and etc,” said an official statement. The 298-strong third batch include 84 women.

Besides training in languages like French, Russian and German, the tourist guides were imparted knowledge on history of tourist destinations, communication skills and friendly behaviour among others.

Another 500 eligible candidates have been shortlisted for training.