The International Greeter Association AISBL, abbreviated to IGA, is the non-profit association of greeter organizations around the world. The IGA is registered under Belgian law and has its seat in Brussels: International Greeter Association AISBL | Avenue d’Auderghem 63, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Greeter welcome visitors to their city and take them on a three-hour walk in person. This shows you the city behind the travel guides and often off the beaten path.
The Greeter idea was born in New York in 1992 when Lynn Brooks initiated the "Big Apple Greeters". Since then, groups have been formed in more than 140 cities and regions around the world from Argentina to Vietnam.
All greeters and greeter organizations share the same Core values:
- Greeters work on a voluntary basis, they give all your visitors a friendly welcome
- Greeters welcome individual guests or very small groups of up to 6 people. The focus is on the dialogue between greeter and guest.
- The walk with a greeter is free.
- All guests and volunteers are welcome without discrimination.
- The greeter organizations support sustainable tourism. They respect the natural and social environment and promote the cultural development of local communities. Greeters promote the image of their home town / region.
- The greeter organizations offer greeters and guests the opportunity for mutual cultural exchange. They help build a better world by making person-to-person contact.
Until 2019 that was Global Greeter Network an informal network. Since the name was taken over by a private foundation, the network members decided to use the name International Greeter Association as a legal entity.
In General meetings IGA members discuss and decide on their joint projects; the next meeting will take place in 2021.
The Board assumes responsibility for maintaining and expanding the network.
Website: www.internationalgreeter.org
E-mail: [email protected]