People can now take a tour of the Villa Marina or the Gaiety Theatre, from the comfort of their own home.

The 3D Virtual Reality (VR) tours have been introduced to help improve accessibility.

Would-be customers can walk through the venues before attending an event or making a booking.

The aim is to help customers know what to expect, or to see parts of the venues that aren’t always open to the public.

A spokesman for the Department of Education, Sport and Culture, which oversees both Douglas venues, said: 'It is hoped viewing the venues virtually will help customers who may be nervous about attending an event to feel more confident, to let those interested in hiring the venue have a look around, and to provide an insight into areas that may be difficult to access for those with limited mobility.

'Visitors can use the tours as a tool to move freely through the Villa Marina and Gaiety spaces, helping to understand the physical space available, layout, access and facilities in each area. Alongside this there is information about each of the rooms including capacity and hire options.'

Have a look at the Villa here.

Have a look at the Gaiety here.

Minister for Education, Sport and Culture, Julie Edge MHK, said: ‘We’re dedicated to providing the best service we can to our customers and want to create and maintain an inclusive and accessible experience for everyone.

‘As part of this, we’ve also had five walk-through videos produced highlighting accessibility facilities and features in the Villa Marina, Gaiety Theatre, Broadway Cinema, Dragon’s Castle and Villa Arcade.’

The accessibility webpage has been refreshed to include information about facilities and services available for hard of hearing customers, the Essential Companion Scheme (ESC) and Relaxed performances.

If customers have any queries or concerns around accessibility, facilities or services, or any other needs or requirements they would like to discuss, they should contact the VillaGaiety box office on 01624 60055, the Villa Marina reception on 01624 694500 or email [email protected]