Mangaluru : Karnataka Tourism Department, in association with Mangalore University, has started a four-month free certificate course for preparing guides for the tourism industry.

On completing the course, the candidate would get a certificate from the university and licence as tourist guide from the department, said coordinator of the course Mustiary Begum.

Speaking at the inauguration of the course at the university on Wednesday, Ms. Mustiary said the Department of MBA (Tourism Administration) in the university and the Tourism Department had started the course to equip participants with adequate skills to serve as tourist guides.

It would be a mixture of classroom and practical learning. Of the four months, one month would be earmarked for practical training at different tourist destinations. The candidates would have to appear for an examination of 50 marks. Students need not pay any fee, including for examination, to pursue the course.

She said that 35 candidates have enrolled for the course. Each candidate would get a stipend of Rs. 1,000 for three months. The tourism department has sponsored Rs. 9 lakh for the course.

The training would impart knowledge and information pertaining to various aspects of the tourism industry with special reference to Karnataka and its coastal region.

Students who have passed second year pre-university and above, can join.

Vice-Chancellor K. Byrappa who inaugurated the course, said many tourist places in the State, including in Dakshina Kannada, required better infrastructure.