Hospitality workers, retail staff and even taxi drivers will soon know a lot more about Brisbane.

Today Lord Mayor Graham Quirk launched a new initiative, to welcome visitors and delegates attending the G20 Summit later this year.

Alexandria Utting reports.

TRANSCRIPT

The Lord Mayor is actively encouraging Brisbane’s workforce to get involved in the ‘Brisbane Welcomes the World’ program.

With world leaders and delegates attending the G20 Economic Summit, the River City is looking to brand itself as a friendly host.

Graham Quirk, Lord Mayor: “But central to what we have to offer is our people, the friendly and caring nature of our city.”

As part of the program 2,000 Brisbaneites will undertake a training program which will teach them the best ways to provide information to customers.

These are the first intake of volunteers to complete online training.

Sue Hammond, Visitor Centre volunteer: “If all they see is a sea of yellow shirts I’m sure they’ll tell all their friends to come back to Brisbane and visit it and not to give it a miss.”

Already another successful tourism program called “Brisbane Greeters” has helped engage visitors through the eyes of locals.

Greeter Jeff Cornford, admits he knows more about the city than average locals do.

Jeff Cornford, Brisbane Greeter: “At the end of the day we’re showing them our Brisbane, each person is different, each person has their own little stories, and ways they do the tour, and so on and so forth, it’s great really.”

He reckons places like this coffee shop in Queen Street Mall is a hidden favourite.

With the G20 looming the Lord Mayor wants to guarantee all hospitality staff are up to the task, and Brisbane locals seem to agree.

Vox 1: “I’ve lived and worked all around the world and I think the hospitality staff here are some of the best compared to other parts of the world.”

The G20 Summit begins in Brisbane in November, for more information vist g20.org.

Alexandria Utting, QUT News.