Salzburg locals offer tourists free walks beyond hotspots

Local volunteers in Salzburg are offering tourists and other visitors free guided walks away from the city’s usual hotspots, ORF reported. The members of the new association call themselves “Greeters” or “Welcomers”.

The movement began in New York in the 1990s and now operates in 40 countries. Its motto is: “Come as a guest, leave as a friend.”

The Salzburg Greeters can be contacted only through their website. They have deliberately chosen not to use social media, said Michael Mayr, a Salzburg journalist and publisher who founded the local group. The website is also used to screen registrations in advance, he said, adding that freeloaders were not wanted.

Mayr has attracted prominent supporters, including former deputy governor Heinrich Schellhorn. Schellhorn said he came from the Zillertal tourism region, where his parents had always run a guesthouse rather than a boarding house for strangers. He said he liked meeting people from other regions.

A Greeter walk follows clear rules and lasts between two and four hours. One possible meeting point is Salzburg’s Grünmarkt. Visitors can use the walk to learn about local life, food and traditions.

US visitor Carrie van Dyck, the founder of the first farm-to-table restaurant in the United States, was particularly interested in regional food and cuisine. She said meeting local people and learning about their way of life was a priority whenever she travelled. Local residents could also help her plan her trips, she said.

Retired former media manager Andreas Windischbauer also volunteers as a Greeter. He said he showed guests only what he personally liked and did not include anything related to The Sound of Music. The exchange had worked well so far, he said.

Professional tour guides in Salzburg do not yet see the Greeters as a major competitor, but some are critical of the initiative. Their spokesman, Roman Forisch, said the Greeters’ offering was highly professional and followed the trend towards private tours. However, he said, they were taking a share of the guides’ business while not charging for their services, which he found troubling.

Bert Brugger, a former tourism director of Salzburg and now a Greeter, said he understood the tour guides’ position because of their extensive training. He said he simply talked about what he liked or what he could prepare well. Not everything that brought people and regions together had to be priced and sold, he added.

The Salzburg Greeters plan to continue their work and hope more people will join, particularly women.