A platform allows seniors to travel throughout France without leaving their chair

How to travel when you can no longer move around? The Travel Me digital platform, established in Boulonnais and Paris, offers remote and live guided tours. A way to maintain a social and cognitive connection for all restricted audiences.

In the common room of the Nohee senior residence in Le Touquet, residents sit comfortably in their armchairs. The room is full: the journey can begin.

In front of them, a large screen lights up: a radiant sun floods the streets of Arles with light, “Ah!” of satisfaction run through the assistance. The singing accent of Anais, the tour guide of the day resonates in the room: “ Hello everyone ! Are you doing well ? Today, I offer you a cultural visit on the theme of Arles, the little Rome of Gaul.”

1000 km separate the guide from these rather special tourists, but it's as if they were there. This remote and live trip is offered by the Travel Me agency, a company established between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Paris. Its ambition: to allow disabled audiences, seniors, residents of retirement homes, EPAHD, people with disabilities to discover or rediscover French heritage thanks to certified tour guides who are on the tour sites.

“In these structures, explains Sarah Giacomoni, founder of the digital platform Travel Me, 80% of residents hardly go out anymore. These visits bring an opening to the outside world, a real emotion linked to live action. Afterwards, there is all the cultural sharing and cognitive stimulation that takes place because they go to places that they have already seen or discover new sites.” Georges Boinot, associate director of the agency, adds: “When you talk to them, they tell you that they really felt like they were leaving home.”

Because it’s not enough to simply film the scene with your phone. Training is provided to guides to provide remote guidance with relevant points of view. They are also trained to address each specific audience so that there are exchanges and stimulation.

Equipped with her mobile phone and equipped with a headset with microphone, Anaïs, the guide, shows you the Arles amphitheater, wandering from floor to floor, giving many details on the architecture, history and geography with exceptional sound and image quality. She calls out to her audience located in Le Touquet:“Arles is located on the Rhône but do you know where this river has its source?” He responds straight away:“in the Swiss Alps” and also asks questions: “how many spectators could these arenas accommodate, were the shows free?”

After the amphitheater, the visit continues through the streets of Arles. Direction Place de la République and discovery of the obelisk.

Colette, an elegant retiree with a sparkling look, recognizes the place. She remembers her strolls in this city with its unique light. “What's interesting here is that these visits are interactive. It's not like a static conference, we participate, it's very good.” Guy, her husband, continues: “Plus, at our age, following a tour for more than an hour quickly gets tiring. Here, you have the impression of walking through Arles. The guide moves for us through the different levels of the amphitheater . We're traveling!

At the back of the room, Pierre-Louis and his wife Eliane, other retirees, are also won over. They participate in all the visits offered by the agency to their residence: “We have already visited the castles of the Loire, Mont-Saint-Michel. And since we haven't traveled for years, we relearn things that we have already seen. In addition, the guide travels in places that we’re not necessarily used to seeing, it’s great!”

A short detour to the terrace of the La Nuit café, immortalized by Vincent Van Gogh, the visit ends. Loud applause for the guide.

Castles, museums, zoos, discovery of artisans, around a hundred visits are offered by Travel Me, throughout France. To date, more than three hundred and fifty establishments have subscribed to these remote trips, for a subscription which provides for one to two visits per month.