Fight that coronavirus lockdown boredom with — your very own Faroe Islander!
The North Atlantic archipelago — on many must-go-to lists until the deadly pandemic — has thought up a unique way of entertaining prospective visitors: having them “control” a local during a guided tour.
A new digital tool launched by Visit Faroe Islands pairs travelers with a resident “who will be their avatar on the ground, taking them on a live virtual tour of the islands,” the islands’ tourism department said in a marketing push.
Locals are equipped with video cameras and armchair travelers can control the avatars with a joystick. The residents will “run” or “jump,” but only if the commands don’t put them in harm’s way.
“Just like a real-life computer game, the main player will control the moves of the Faroese islanders, who will not only explore locations on foot, but also take to the skies by helicopter,” the department added.
Tourism officials dreamed up the tool — available on mobile, table and desktop — in the early days of the deadly infection to ease both the disappointment of “those who had to cancel or postpone their trip to the Faroe Islands — and for everyone else stuck in insolation around the world,” according to the department’s website.