The reward is attractive for every tourist: free admission to museums, boat rides, free lunches and kayak tours.
This is what Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, decided to offer to tourists who adopt a sustainable behavior with the environment starting this Monday, July 15, according to the official tourist organization, Wonderful Copenhagen.
The Danish capital is committed to promoting more sustainable tourism at a time when mass tourism causes inconvenience, raises or oversizes rates and provokes questions and many protests in several cities in Europe.
How CopenPay works and what it gives away
The initiative called CopenPaywhich will extend until August 11rewards actions like use bicycles and public transportparticipate in work cleaning o volunteer on urban farms with the possibility of accessing 24 different attractions in Copenhagen ranging from cafes, organic meals and free lunches to free surfing, skiing and kayaking activities.
The Danish capital, which currently has more than 750,000 bicyclesfour times more than the number of cars, and where more than 70% of electricity comes from renewable energyis located as the third most sustainable destination in the world among large cities, according to the 2023 Global Destination Sustainability Index.
The tourism organization assures that there is a great willingness to assume ecological responsibilities on the part of tourists, since 82% of the visitors surveyed say they want to act sustainably, however only 22% have changed their behavior.
Wonderful Copenhagen Communications and Marketing Director Rikke Holm Petersen said that with these types of initiatives they hope to “close the gap between intention and action.”
He added that the advertising campaign, which will be visible at the airport and in the center of Copenhagen, aims to raise tourist awareness and encourage greener behavior.
Famous old port of Nyhavn in the center of Copenhagen. Photo ShutterstockGreen payment for tourists, an experience that could be installed all year round
Holm Petersen emphasized that once the result of the project has been evaluated, it will be considered to reintroduce CopenPay as a year-round green payment experience and expand the concept to other parts of Denmark, and even introduce it to other places in the world.
“We hope inspire visitors to reflect on their environmental impact and leave Copenhagen with a greener mindset as a souvenir of their visit. And that they feel inspired to do similar things at home” concluded the Director of Communication.
The Little Mermaid, the icon of Copenhagen. Photo ShutterstockWhat to keep in mind about CopePay
- The pilot project will run during Copenhagen’s peak season, from July 15 to August 11.
- The official website, operational as of Monday, July 15, is www.CopenPay.com
- A wide range of attractions are involved in the pilot project: the National Museum, the National Gallery of Denmark, the Copenhagen Museum, Sparta Running Club, Green Kayak, Copenhill, Øens Have, Donkey Republic bike rental and many more.