In Barcelona this weekend, thousands of locals chanted “tourists go home,” while spraying visitors with water guns. That’s one way to fight over-tourism. But Copenhagen, Denmark is taking a different tack to lessen the impact of visitors.
To get tourists to act more sustainably, the city’s tourism promoter ‘Wonderful Copenhagen’ is launching a new initiative that will offer free entry to some Copenhagen attractions – along with other perks – when visitors perform climate-friendly actions.
Data reveals that 82% of travellers say they want to act sustainably, but only 22% have changed their behaviour. “There is a need to change the mindset of tourists and encourage green choices,” according to Wonderful Copenhagen.
That was the inspiration for CopenPay, a new initiative transforming green actions into currency for cultural experiences. It is Copenhagen's ambition to inspire visitors to make conscious green choices and help bridge the large gap between the desire to act sustainably and their actual behaviour.
Volunteering at an urban farm can earn visitors a free lunch in Copenhagen. (Photo Credit: Wonderful Copenhagen)
CopenPay rewards actions such as cycling, participating in cleanup efforts, or volunteering at urban farms with access to a variety of enriching experiences and everyday wonders of Copenhagen. This includes 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,” says Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen.
Sustainability-conscious visitors can earn free entry to Copenhagen attractions including the Museum of Copenhagen. (Photo Credit: Museum of Copenhagen)
“It might sound simple, but it is not. 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.”
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