SOON tourist guides would be acting as brand ambassadors in spreading awareness on HIV/AIDS among the travellers visiting the State. For, India Tourism wants the fraternity to act as true guides in helping a tourist act responsibly and practice safe sex.

The department in association with the Orissa State AIDS Control Society kicked-off a sensitisation workshop here yesterday with this mission and it was attended by tour guides from Puri, Khurda and Nayagarh districts.

The programme, funded by UNDP, is also being simultaneously organised in five states. In states where it had already been rolled out, consultant in the Ministry of Tourism Manorama Bakshi said, there has been a marked attitudinal change among all the stakeholders.

The Ministry has proposed free space in all ITDC hotels and duty-free shops for installation of condom vending machines and also putting them in wayside amenities and tourist arrival centres.