The Global Greeter Network is celebrating the 26th anniversary of the creation of the Greeters concept. A chance to highlight this form of participative tourism. The principle is simple: volunteers share with visitors their enthusiasm, their anecdotes, their favourite places and invite them to explore Brussels in a different way. An original and at times offbeat way of discovering a city.
The Greeters are residents who show tourists their city or neighbourhood in an unusual, original and personal way, providing this service in a friendly and intimate fashion. This concept is therefore perfectly in line with the alternative tourism trend, increasingly in demand from tourists searching for authenticity.
Worldwide
Founded in 1992 by Lynn Brooks in New York City, the concept stemmed from a desire to have tourists discover the real New York by means of Big Apple residents who at the time had a bad reputation among them.
Today, the Greeters community is still very much on the increase. Today there are Greeters in 38 countries and 140 destinations.
Further information: http://globalgreeternetwork.com
In Brussels
In the capital, these ambassadors share a unique, original and friendly experience with enthusiastic visitors. The Greeters welcome tourists in 12 languages to the four corners of Brussels Capital Region. The team of 115 greeters is highly eclectic. They offer offbeat tours, personalised by their experiences, their personality, their job, their leisure activities, etc.
The tours are free and the exchanges rich. Something to forge links between different cultures and traditions. The tours are done in little groups of maximum 6 persons (on reservation only) and are tailored and personalised.
In 2017, the Brussels Greeters network received over 1000 inscriptions for tours with enthusiastic residents. This was 30% up on 2016, a sign of tourists’ and Belgians’ growing interest in the concept and in the capital.
There is no discrimination among Greeters. A tour with a Greeter is ideal for all: visitors from all over the world, young people, lone travellers, families, friends, couples, expats, pensioners, Erasmus, PRM, LGBTQI, etc.
The Brussels Greeters network is a free service issuing from participative tourism based on volunteering and residents’ enthusiasm. It is coordinated by visit.brussels and is part of its mission to welcome visitors and show them around.
Further information: www.greeters.brussels
Press information:
Noémie Wibail: +32 490 49 43 84 – n.wibail@visit.brussels