" It's incredible. In 30 seconds, we forget that we are sitting in front of a terminal with a helmet. It feels like a hang glider or a bird. We fly over the Cotentin with absolutely dizzying views, especially above the cliffs. It's a great experience that shows us the beauty of the region as we could never see it," explains Louise, 48, from Valenciennes (North), clearly amazed by this new device.

Concretely, it is a virtual reality helmet, fixed to a terminal within the Tourist Office of Carteret (Manche). “The visitor has the spectacular illusion of flying over the region, with a 360° vision. In other words, just lower your head to see the sea, the cliffs, or the island of Tatihou passing below you, or turn around to see the landscape you have passed, exactly as if you were a bird “, explains Anne Gaudaire, head of digital services at the Tourist Office.

Even the locals are rediscovering “their” landscapes

“These images were filmed by a drone equipped with 360° cameras. It is as if the trip, which lasts four minutes, started early in the morning and ended around 7 p.m. We thus discover the beauty of the landscapes at different times of the day,” adds Olivier Gosselin, his assistant.

“It’s an essential step today. Tourist reception can no longer, as before, be done only in offices with brochures. This type of immersive, interactive tool perfectly meets these new expectations,” explains David Margueritte, President of the Cotentin Agglomeration Community. Moreover, tourists are not the only ones to benefit from this experience. Locals, even those who know the region very well, come here to rediscover “their” landscapes seen from an unknown angle, that of the sky.