KSTDC to resume tours from June 10

The Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (KSTDC) will operate tours in different parts of Karnataka from June 10. The decision came in the wake of guidelines issued by the central government to relax lockdown norms to resume economic activity in the country.

The government-run agency will operate four tours - South Canara Temple Tour, sight-seeing in Bengaluru and Mysuru, nature splendor (Bengaluru-Madikeri-Nagarahole-Bengaluru), and temple tour of Hassan district - from next Wednesday. The state government, it can be recalled, had permitted safaris, trekking and jungle resorts from June 8.

According to a release by Kumar Pushkar, Managing Director, KSTDC, several safety regulations will be adopted while ferrying tourists to these tourist locations. Among the measures to ensure tourist safety included, complete sanitisation of tourist vehicles, mandatory gloves, masks, sanitisers and thermal screening for guides, drivers and cleaners of the bus, 50 per cent occupancy in vehicles to ensure social distancing norms and others.

People suffering from illness or above 65 years of age will not be allowed to take the tour", the release read, adding that all buses will be non-AC. All tourists will also be screened for any illness before the start of the journey.

These tours will be operated under the first phase of service resumption by KSTDC, with more tours expected to be added in the coming days.