Charter of Liège Greeters
“Come as a guest, leave as a friend”
1. What are Greeters ?
A ‘Greeter’ is someone who welcomes visitors. The concept originated in New York in 1992 and has spread throughout the world. It has also reached Liège, which now has 27 Greeters. They are residents who are passionate about their city, of all ages and from all walks of life. They are open to other cultures and are keen to volunteer their time to accompany visitors around the city to places they love, to help them discover little corners that even backpackers don’t know about, or to take them from one surprise to another as they discover the ‘Ardent City’ and everything that makes it so vibrant.
Neither a historian nor a professional guide, the Greeter is a volunteer who does not replace the professional guides of the Tourist Office. Their role, beyond helping visitors discover the city’s ‘must-see’ attractions, is to create a friendly encounter and introduce them to the city through their own eyes, their favourite spots and their subjectivity, just as they would with friends.
(The Greeters of Liège are members of the association ‘Greeters Liège asbl’ and fully adhere to the global philosophy that defends the same values everywhere (see more here).
2. Who are our visitors?
The Greeting is open to everyone, without distinction or discrimination. Whether you are travelling alone, with family or friends, passing through, a student, a worker or a newly arrived resident keen to discover the city where you will be spending several months or years, or even a local curious to rediscover a city that has changed considerably, everyone is welcome.
And to create a warm and personalised experience with your own group, the group is limited to 6 people. Are there more than 6 of you? Then other Greeters will come to meet you. Large groups should contact us in advance by email or telephone.
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3. How does the association connect Greeters and visitors?
To ensure everything runs smoothly, visitors are asked to submit their tour request at least two weeks in advance, or one week at the very latest.
To get started, simply fill in the online form to indicate your preferred date, language and what you would like to discover. The association will then select an available Greeter who best meets your requirements. You will receive their contact details and they will get in touch with you to arrange the practical details of your meeting. If there is no Greeter available who meets your requirements (particularly language) on the desired date, other nearby dates may be suggested.
4. A non-commercial initiative !
Greeter walks are above all moments of meeting and sharing between local residents and visitors. Meeting a Greeter is free of charge and entirely volunteer-based.
If you enjoyed this encounter and the Greeters spirit, you are of course welcome to support the association with a donation, of any amount and with no obligation.
These donations help us make the Greeters better known, welcome new volunteers and keep the association active. Information on how to donate can be found on this website.
For the sake of simplicity and clarity during the walk, everyone pays their own personal expenses (drinks, meals, transport, etc.).
Visitors are under no obligation to pay for the Greeter.
Unless specifically requested by you, Greeters do not include paid visits (museums, exhibitions or other venues) during their walks.
5. A successfull encounter
Each encounter is unique and tailor-made to best meet the needs of each visitor.
It may also depend on other factors that are difficult to control, such as the weather, construction work, venue closures or traffic problems, etc.
A successful encounter therefore depends on everyone’s flexibility and goodwill in adapting to situations and unforeseen events, however diverse they may be. The common goal remains to enjoy a cheerful, friendly, relaxed and welcoming encounter between a city, an enthusiastic resident and visitors.
6. Responsibilities
Visitors acknowledge that they have read this charter for themselves and the members of their group. They cannot hold the association or the Greeter liable for any failure or dispute. Walks are undertaken in full knowledge of the facts and under the sole responsibility of each participant. The association cannot be held liable for any incident or accident that may occur during the walk.
The information contained on the website http://www.greetersliege.be is believed to be accurate, to the best of our knowledge, at the time of publication. The website is regularly checked and updated, but Greeters Liège cannot be held liable or complicit in any loss, damage or inconvenience that may result from the use of the information published on the website or on the association’s social media accounts.