9

Virtual tours are currently presented as alternatives to visiting a heritage site, such as Versailles—which attracts millions of visitors each year. This article discusses the promise of these virtual tours in the context of tourism and museum development. The semiotic analysis of digital productions shows how signs are used as reminders of an on-site visit and to make sense of on-screen activity. Furthermore, the valorization of this practice is based on both establishing its contemplative power, and the removal of the nuisance of other visitors. The ideal type of the visit is based on an intimate encounter with cultural heritage: the intimacy seen to be necessary for true esthetic delight.