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London Greeters Case Study Visitor Information & Marketing | 02

London Greeters

As host to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, London is expected to welcome over 4 million extra visitors over 4 years. However the legacy of this once in a lifetime event will only be realised if visitors are warmly welcomed to the capital.

The concept of London Greeters was mooted in The London Tourism Action Plan 2009-13. The Five Host Boroughs of the London 2012 Games - Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham and Hackney were funded by London Development Agency to set up the scheme and run it until 2013. The London Borough of Camden later joined the scheme, which was launched in February 2011.

London Greeters aim to highlight parts of London that are often over-looked by visitors, to promote local knowledge, characters and the enthusiasm of Londoners and their local neighbourhoods. Visitor Information & Marketing | 03

Practicalities Travel expenses for greets, training and meetings are currently provided by London The scheme is managed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich working in Greeters. Greeters are asked to commit to 2 partnership with the London Boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Greets per month, plus orientation sessions and Waltham Forest, Camden and the London Development Agency. Public annual briefing sessions. Liability Insurance is provided by individual London Boroughs if guidelines are followed. Visitors book greets online via www.londongreeters.org, the form collects New greeters receive orientation sessions. All Greeters were offered an purpose of visit, visitor profile and interests to opportunity to attend the Welcome to London 2012 Training developed by match the visitor and greeter. Greenwich Tourist the Greater London Authority. The training complements and enhances Information Centre receives the electronic form existing knowledge by providing an understanding of the scale of the and then puts the visitor in touch with the London 2012 Games, an overview of Games time transport and London greeter. The Greeter is then left to contact the as the Host City in order to help welcome the world to London. visitor to confirm details.

Greets must remain in public areas and must use public transport or travel on foot. Greeters Roger Mason is a London Greeter who specialises in Camden are passionate about their local area and have Town and the surrounding neighbourhood. Following the first specific interests such as architecture, history London Greet, Steven from Chicago reviewed: and have a basic knowledge of the London 2012 Games. Greeters now operate in Camden, Epping “We had an excellent walking tour; I was particularly impressed Forest, Greenwich, Woolwich, Tower Hamlets, Eltham, and the , by your flexibility in altering your course when we expressed an Hackney, St Katharine’s Dock and , interest in sites not on your original itinerary” Hoxton and , Brick Lane (www.londongreeters.org). and , Newham, Walthamstow QUOTE and Stratford. Visitor Information & Marketing | 04

Lessons learned

• Utilise existing community / volunteer groups; best practice and advice was sought at Volunteer Centre Greenwich at the set up stage of the scheme on the best ways to recruit and manage greeters.

• Greets take place in the resident’s own area of London to ensure local knowledge and to reduce travelling costs.

• Volunteering should not affect Job Seeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living Allowance and London Greeters are happy to give a reference for a volunteer, making the scheme attractive to job seekers.

• Due to the high number of international visitors, greeters with foreign language skills have been welcomed.

Contact details: Wendy Tang, Greenwich Tourism Officer, [email protected], 020 89216105

Visit www.londongreeters.org WEB