News RSS Feed Send your news, pictures & videos


Greeters to welcome visitors to Brighton and Hove

12:00pm Thursday 10th September 2009 in


Tourists to Brighton and Hove are set to be given a warm welcome by its residents.

Brighton and Hove City Council is pushing ahead with plans for enthusiastic locals to greet visitors and give them a resident's-eye view of their holiday destination.

The volunteer greeter scheme will enable visitors to book up to four hours with a resident, who will offer a personal tour of their favourite spots.

It is expected to be approved by the council on September 15 and will go live on October 2.

The city will be the first in the UK to implement a volunteer greeter scheme.

Tours can be applied for via the VisitBrighton website. The request will then be sent out to volunteers by email.

When a greeter responds, they will be put in touch with the visitor and arrange to meet at the city's Visitor Information Centre at an agreed time.

A council spokesman said: "This is a lovely way of giving visitors a really personal introduction to the city. It will mean they can make the best use of their precious time here.

“For the greeter, it's a tremendous opportunity to meet people from around the world who share your particular passions."

The scheme has already been a success in a number of cities including Chicago, New York, Houston and Adelaide.

New York’s Big Apple Greeter has welcomed 75,000 visitors from all 50 US states, 124 countries and in 22 languages.

A survey has shown that 97% of people said greeters made their visit more enjoyable.

Comments(11)

Strugg Lynn says...
1:27pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Will these volunteers be CRB checked?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

rostron71 says...
1:34pm Thu 10 Sep 09

If the council want Brighton to be more welcoming maybe they should get rid of the aggressive begging drunks that "greet" myself and others most evenings from the bus shelter outside the train station. Having done so, they then might want to clean up the visually attractive beer/vomit/urine stains from beneath the shelter.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

HoveAlone says...
1:47pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Couldn't agree more rostron71!!! I also would advise them not to wait at bus stops after 9pm in Churchill Square or the lower end of Western Road!

I have a the perfect solutions for visitors - make them get the train to Hove instead of Brighton! You don't get any 'dross' hanging around Hove station, and it is a much more pleasant walk through the leafy Hove streets down to the lawns and seafront! If you don't believe me - try it!

I hope that the 'greeters' will also explain to visitors that Hove and Brighton are seperate towns in a unified city as many of my friends who have visited B&H have been confused as to the difference between 'Brighton', and 'Brighton & Hove'!



Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Whitedot says...
2:06pm Thu 10 Sep 09

More cheesy americanisation. Well I'll have a go, as long as they get their round in.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

BiggerH says...
2:18pm Thu 10 Sep 09

what is it with Brighton Council and its constant attempts to be the 'first city in the country' to implement these hair-brained schemes.

Sort out the city's main problems first, then worry about becoming Stepford.


Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Andre Spooner says...
2:27pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Me and my horse already do this! As the visitors and tourists leave the train, I will often haul one or two onto the horse, and we will ride down Queens Road to the clock tower. Woe betide any who stand in our way. I also encourage the visitors to make deep pitched growling sound at any people they might meet, it sound like: GHHHRRR.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Masterchav says...
3:57pm Thu 10 Sep 09

I love it.... "Chicago, New York, Houston, Adelaide" and er.... Brighton?

I propose a tour of the local brothels, lap dancing bars, followed by a pub crawl, a tour of the car parks and bus station, dodge a few big issue sellers, get a piercing or tattoo, run the gauntlet of chuggers, and finish off with a skinny mocha latte at Starbucks LOL

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

jooj says...
3:57pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Nice idea for those of us interested in the world rather than just complaining about absolutely everything and doing nothing... but it's neither new or American. The National Trust and English heritage have been doing it for years. Plus various groups offer paid tours already... undercutting another local business by offering someone else's time for free is great 'local' planning.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

stickman says...
4:36pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Masterchav wrote:
I love it.... "Chicago, New York, Houston, Adelaide" and er.... Brighton?

I propose a tour of the local brothels, lap dancing bars, followed by a pub crawl, a tour of the car parks and bus station, dodge a few big issue sellers, get a piercing or tattoo, run the gauntlet of chuggers, and finish off with a skinny mocha latte at Starbucks LOL
Yes, there's nothing else to see in Brighton is there Masterchav? Of course cities like New York and Houston don't have brothels, lap dancing clubs or anything bad about them at all do they?

Why do people like you keep living here if you hate it so much? Property prices are still relatively high - you could sell up and move to somewhere far more interesting, like Crawley? or Worthing?

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

Masterchav says...
5:36pm Thu 10 Sep 09

stickman wrote:
Masterchav wrote: I love it.... "Chicago, New York, Houston, Adelaide" and er.... Brighton? I propose a tour of the local brothels, lap dancing bars, followed by a pub crawl, a tour of the car parks and bus station, dodge a few big issue sellers, get a piercing or tattoo, run the gauntlet of chuggers, and finish off with a skinny mocha latte at Starbucks LOL
Yes, there's nothing else to see in Brighton is there Masterchav? Of course cities like New York and Houston don't have brothels, lap dancing clubs or anything bad about them at all do they? Why do people like you keep living here if you hate it so much? Property prices are still relatively high - you could sell up and move to somewhere far more interesting, like Crawley? or Worthing?
You miss the point... and anyway don't get your knickers in a twist, take a chill pill man instead of flying off on one

The point being that apart from a pier and a pavilion, there ain't much else. Compare that with Chicago, New York, Houston and Adelaide.

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

HoveAlone says...
6:10pm Thu 10 Sep 09

Guys, at the end of the day, we all know deep down (as does everyone else who has ever been to Brighton) that Brighton...is a pikey-ridden dump. It tries to 'big itself up' but in reality, it's just a scruffy, dirty, seaside town. Have you seen how flaky and mouldy the seafront railings are? The dirty streets in the town centre? The scruffy beachfront cafes and bars?

Give me Hove anyday - at least we accept that Hove is just a simple, residential, coastal town. Come on Brighton, you are mutton that thinks you are lamb!

Report this post »    Register/Log In »

More News stories


Most popular







Local Information

Enter your postcode, town or place name

House prices »   Schools »   Crime »   Hospitals »

Local Businesses