As Amsterdam limits cruise ships (see story below) and Barcelonians squirt water at tourists while shouting “go home,” Copenhagen is introducing a novel approach to tackling sustainable tourism: paying tourists to do it. “CopenPay” rewards visitors’ climate-friendly actions – like cycling, participating in clean-up efforts, or volunteering at an urban farm – into currency to be used for cultural experiences in the city.
Citing data that says a large willingness (82%) of tourists say they want to act sustainably, but only 22% who have actually changed their behaviour, Wonderful Copenhagen (WC) says “There is a need to change the mindset of tourists and encourage green choices.”
To that end, the Danish city’s ambition is to inspire visitors to make conscious green choices and help bridge the large gap between the desire to act sustainably and their actual behaviour through the CopenPay iniatiative, which rewards green actions with “access to a variety of enriching experiences and everyday wonders of Copenhagen” – such as complimentary guided museum tours, free kayak rentals, and even a free vegetarian lunch made from local crops.
“It is a core task for us to make travelling sustainable. And we will only succeed if we bridge the large gap between the visitors’ desire to act sustainably and their actual behaviour. It might sound simple, but it is not,” says Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen.
“We want visitors to make conscious, green choices and hopefully end up getting even better experiences while they visit. Through CopenPay we therefore aim to incentivize tourists’ sustainable behaviour while enriching their cultural experience of our destination. It is an experimental and a small step towards creating a new mindset amongst travellers and one among many initiatives we are doing to make travelling more sustainable.”
The simplicity of the system allows easy participation: tourists can show a train ticket, arrive on a bicycle, or present other simple proof of green actions to redeem their rewards. All tourists are invited to participate, with regular updates on available attractions and rewards at copenpay.com.
“I am thrilled to see an initiative like CopenPay that combines our rich cultural life with a strong commitment to sustainability. By converting green actions into currency for cultural experiences, tourists are given a unique opportunity to explore Copenhagen in a way that benefits both the environment and the local community,” says the city’s mayor, Sophie Hæstorp Andersen. “This aligns perfectly with our values and ambitions to promote sustainable solutions in Copenhagen.”
Launching with over 20 attractions this summer, CopenPay not only aims to enhance the guests’ local experience but also to inspire other destinations.