Greeters are volunteers who welcome tourists in their city or region, and show them around for free as they would do with friends or family. It is a form of social tourism; the residents participate in the activities of the tourists, and tourists get to see the local life of the place visited. During a walk through the city, a Greeter will not only point out interesting or unknown places, but also talk about daily life in the city and listen to what the guests have to say about their hometown.
The first Greeter initiative was New York's Big Apple Greeters, founded by Lynn Brooks in 1992. It was hoped that the program, sponsored by Manhattan borough president Ruth Messinger, would improve New York's reputation as a "dangerous, expensive and overwhelming" place by letting tourists see it through the eyes of its residents. This idea soon spread to a variety of tourist destinations across the world.
Participating cities and regions
The Global Greeter network is growing rapidly. Currently, more than 120 cities are offering Greeter services.
Haarlem, The Netherlands
Aisne, France
Adelaide, Australia
Alençon, France
Albi, France
Angers, France
Athens, Greece
Barcelona,Spain
Belgian Coast, Belgium
Belgrade, Serbia
Berlin, Germany
Bilbao, Spain
Biscarrosse, France
Bordeaux, France
Burgundy, France
Brest, France
Brighton, England
Brisbane, Australia
Brussels, Belgique
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Burgundy, France
Champagne (wine region), France
Chicago, USA
Ivory Coast
Dublin, Ireland
Florence, Italy
Geneva, Switzerland
Goteborg, Sweden
The Hague, Netherlands
Hamburg, Germany
Hauts-de-Seine, France
Heidelberg, Germany
Helsingborg, Sweden
Houston, USA
Kent, England
Kragujevac, Serbia
Lézardrieux, France
Lille, France
Loix, France
London, England
Lyon, France
Madrid,Spain
Mannheim, Germany
Marseille, France
Melbourne, Australia
Moscow, Russia
Mulhouse, France
Munich, Germany
Munster, Haut-Rhin, France
Nantes, France
Nancy, France
Naples, Italy
New Delhi, India
Nice, France
Niš, Serbia
Novi Sad, Serbia
New York City, USA
Paris, France
Pas-de-Calais, France
Rennes, France
Rhine and Ahr region and Bonn, Germany
Sélestat, France
Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Tel Aviv, Israel
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Toulouse, France
Tours, France
Troyes, France
Uzès, France
Versailles, France
Vienna, Austria
The Global Greeter Network (GGN) is an informal association of Greeter destinations around the world. It bi-annually meets to discuss common problems.
The GNN has defined six core values that are shared across all participating Greeter organizations:
Greeters are volunteers, a friendly face for those visiting a city/destination
Greeters welcome individuals and may serve small groups of up to six people
Meeting a Greeter is free of charge
Visitors are welcomed without any kind of discrimination.
Greeter programs support sustainable tourism. Programs respect natural and man-made environments, it brings both cultural and economical enrichment to the local communities. Programs aim for a lasting positive image of each destination.
Greeter programs create a mutually enriching opportunity for cultural exchange, create links between ordinary people in creating a better world.
