Bangalore: Tourist information on Karnataka is now available across the country over a toll-free telephone number. The information is currently available in Kannada, English and Hindi and will soon be available in other regional languages such as Telugu and Tamil.

The toll free number is 1600-44-1414 and the service is provided nine hours a day, from 09:00 hrs (IST) 18:00 hrs (IST) round the year.

The service is available on weekends and national holidays, with Tuesday being the scheduled off.

Karnataka Tourism is launching its help line in association with 'Customer First Service' and the service will have its centralised operations in Bangalore, an official release said.

Multilingual customer service executive will disseminate comprehensive information about Karnataka's diverse attraction, their relative distance from various centres, accessibility and accommodation options. In addition,telephone numbers and addresses of hotels, resorts, travel agents and tour operators at different destination will also be provided.

The tourist information has been classified under different themes such as heritage, beaches, eco-tourism, hill stations, adventure sports, wildlife, pilgrimage and so on.

Callers will be offered information regarding conducted tours and accommodation options offered by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and Jungle Lodges and Resorts (an autonomous body).

In addition, details of package tours offered by leading tour operators and hotels and resort owners across Karnataka will be provided, the release added.

PTI