Meet a greeter, your friend in Touraine! A greeter is a local who is passionate about his or her area, town or village, and welcomes visitors for a friendly, authentic and instructive stroll. He or she will take you around his or her favorite places, and offer you his or her "bons plans" and good addresses... all based entirely on voluntary work! These 2-hour walks are free of charge. A Greeter is not a guide. The themes of the walks are varied, and are above all a pretext for a meeting, a rich human experience and a cultural exchange that remain the basis of the meeting. This worldwide movement, a precursor of participatory tourism, was born in the United States in 1992. It has met with great success in France and around the world. Loire Valley Greeters is a member of the French Greeters Federation and the Global Greeters Network, and is committed to respecting the Greeters charter and values. Take a walk with a local! The Greeters concept was born in New York in 1992. Lynn Brooks, with the help of her network of friends, offers tourists unusual walks organized by locals in the Big Apple's neighborhoods. A greeter welcomes you for around two hours, free of charge, for a friendly, authentic stroll rich in exchange! Since 2010, the greeter movement has been enjoying exceptional popularity on all five continents. The various greeter destinations decided to join forces and create an international network: the Global Greeter Network (GGN). In France, greeter organizations have been coordinated since 2011 by the France Greeters Federation. 6 shared core values All Greeters programs worldwide, members of the international Global Greeters Network, share common core values. These six values must be respected to be part of the GGN. They are an integral part of the way each organization operates: Greeters are volunteers; they are a friendly face of the destination for the visitor(s). Greeters welcome individuals and groups of up to 6 people (family or friends). Meeting a Greeter is entirely free of charge. However, some not-for-profit organizations accept donations to support their operations. Greeters welcome visitors and volunteers alike, without discrimination. Greeter networks are part of a sustainable tourism approach that respects the environment and people. They contribute to the cultural and economic enrichment of local communities, and give a positive image of the destination. Greeter networks encourage mutual enrichment and cultural exchange between individuals, for a better world. Meeting and sharing between visitors and locals helps to understand cultural differences. They act as elements of cohesion between people.