Reimagining Travel: How Copenhagen’s ‘CopenPay’ Encourages Responsible Tourism Practices

As the world grapples with the challenges of climate change and the impact of mass tourism, Copenhagen is emerging as a pioneer in sustainable tourism with an innovative initiative: CopenPay. Set to run between July 15 and August 11, 2024, the pilot programme is designed to incentivise eco-friendly behaviors among visitors, transforming their actions into rewards for cultural experiences while promoting a greener urban environment.

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In recent years, many European cities have struggled with over-tourism, implementing measures and restrictions to mitigate its effects. This was the case in Venice, where local authorities introduced an entrance fee for day trippers, and Santorini, where the number of places for cruise ships has been capped to 8,000 passengers per day. 

Denmark’s capital Copenhagen has taken a different approach by encouraging tourists to engage in environmentally conscious activities. The city’s ambition is to shift the narrative of tourism from being an environmental burden to a catalyst for positive change.

The city of 600,000 people has long been recognised for its commitment to sustainability, aiming to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital. The CopenPay initiative is just another step in this direction. It was developed based on the findings of a sustainability report from market research group Kantar published last year, which found a significant gap between people’s desire to act sustainably and their actual behaviors. While 82% of consumers expressed a wish to adopt more sustainable practices, only 22% indicated they had made concrete changes in their habits.

How It Works

CopenPay aims to bridge this gap by rewarding tourists who make environmentally friendly choices during their stay. Visitors will earn rewards for activities such as cycling, using public transportation, volunteering at urban farms, or partaking in canals and park clean-ups. The rewards can vary from free meals and guided museum tours to wine tastings and kayak rentals.

During an interview with Euronews Green, Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, Chief Executive of Wonderful Copenhagen, the tourism organization for the Capital Region of Denmark, explained that the goal is not just to generate immediate rewards but to inspire a shift in mindset about tourism. “The idea is not to increase tourism. It is all about how you behave at the destinations while you’re here in a more sustainable and climate-friendly manner. It’s about changing how we move, what we consume, and how we interact with locals,” he said. By making eco-conscious actions a form of currency, CopenPay aims to transform the way tourists engage with the city and its sustainable ethos.

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Simple Participation, Significant Impact

One of the most appealing aspects of CopenPay is its simplicity. Tourists only need to present proof of their eco-friendly actions – be it a bicycle rental receipt, a public transport ticket, or photos of themselves biking or participating in cleanup efforts – to start earning rewards. Currently, there are over twenty options to choose from, ensuring a diverse range of experiences for participants.

CopenPay is therefore built on trust, just as Danish society is the most trusting in the world. The ease of participation is intended to encourage a broader audience to engage with the programme and make sustainable choices throughout their visit.

Domino Effect

CopenPay is not only an attempt to create a more sustainable tourism model locally but also an effort to inspire other cities to follow suit. Aarø-Hansen and his team hope to demonstrate the success of this pilot project and encourage other municipalities to develop their own systems that promote sustainable tourist behaviors. 

By demonstrating its potential impact, the city hopes to lead a global movement towards responsible travel practices, reinforcing the idea that tourism can be a mutually beneficial experience for visitors, local communities, and the environment alike.

Featured image: Mark Tanggaard/Copenhagen Media Center.