diff --git a/addons/web_tour/static/src/js/tour_service.js b/addons/web_tour/static/src/js/tour_service.js
index 6f2300853f8..92e8148a901 100644
--- a/addons/web_tour/static/src/js/tour_service.js
+++ b/addons/web_tour/static/src/js/tour_service.js
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ return session.is_bound.then(function () {
                 observer.disconnect();
             };
         }
-
+        // helper to start a tour manually (or from a python test with its counterpart start_tour function)
+        odoo.startTour = tour_manager.run.bind(tour_manager);
         return tour_manager;
     });
 });
diff --git a/odoo/tests/common.py b/odoo/tests/common.py
index 23faa293488..aaad8b8e9e5 100644
--- a/odoo/tests/common.py
+++ b/odoo/tests/common.py
@@ -936,7 +936,7 @@ class HttpCase(TransactionCase):
         optional delay between steps `step_delay`. Other arguments from
         `browser_js` can be passed as keyword arguments."""
         step_delay = ', %s' % step_delay if step_delay else ''
-        code = kwargs.pop('code', "odoo.__DEBUG__.services['web_tour.tour'].run('%s'%s)" % (tour_name, step_delay))
+        code = kwargs.pop('code', "odoo.startTour('%s'%s)" % (tour_name, step_delay))
         ready = kwargs.pop('ready', "odoo.__DEBUG__.services['web_tour.tour'].tours.%s.ready" % tour_name)
         return self.browser_js(url_path=url_path, code=code, ready=ready, **kwargs)