An interactive tourist guide, allowing visitors to do everything from checking bus routes to learning about shipwrecks and booking a table in a restaurant, was unveiled yesterday.

The 23-inch touch screen terminal at Hamilton Visitor Service Bureau has been on trial since mid-August and has been voted a big hit by tourists.

Now the Bermudian company behind the service, LookBermuda, is hoping to roll out more of the interactive kiosks at visitor centres, tourist attractions and the Airport.

The kiosk features moving images of beaches and popular attractions such Gibbs Hill Lighthouse and an interactive map of the Island.

It is linked into an existing service provided by another Bermudian company, Axiom, which allows visitors to book restaurant tables, tee-times on the golf course and other leisure facilities, and is currently used by concierges at hotels.

It is planned to put the service on the internet so that tourists can take a virtual tour of the Island from home and book a range of activities online before they even visit Bermuda.

Minister of Tourism, Telecommunications and E-Commerce Minister Renee Webb, whose departments are sponsoring the trial kiosk, said it was a major step forward for the Island.

"We gave a jump start to these companies as part of our e-strategy to get Bermuda on-line and more efficient," said Ms Webb yesterday.

"We have to lead by example and we were in a position to help these companies come on board. We were very pleased to help make these dreams a reality."

Jean-Pierre Rouja, the managing director of LookBermuda, said: "It has everything you want to know about Bermuda, including tourism and bookings.

"It has links to much more than just commercial activities - such as the beaches, the parks, the Railway Trail - things that interest the tourist but are not necessarily bookable.

"This has the bookable stuff and the non-commercial stuff so that the tourist can plan a whole day so that it is more productive and they will come back again." Simon Watkinson of Axiom said: "Whenever a visitor comes into contact with Bermuda, all of Bermuda becomes available.

"We feel a lot of people come to Bermuda and they don't fulfil their potential because they don't know everything that is available. This will increase the things they can do on the Island and that will be good for the economy."