The future of tourism? Copenhagen’s CopenPay rewards visitors for acting sustainably

Last year, the city of Copenhagen trialled CopenPay, an initiative that allows tourists to ‘earn’ rewards like free ice cream and discounted museum entry by engaging in sustainable behaviours. The scheme will run again this year, for a longer period, and will involve more activities than before.

Visitors to Copenhagen between 17 June and 17 August 2025 have the opportunity to access benefits from 90 attractions participating in CopenPay, including the National Museum, Kronborg Castle and the National Gallery of Denmark, in exchange for things like using electric cars, bikes and public transport, choosing plant-based food, and booking a longer stay (four or more nights).

After the trial period, Rikke Holm Petersen, director of marketing at tourism board Wonderful Copenhagen, which is behind the initiative, hopes that CopenPay will eventually run year-round.

The scheme builds upon 2024’s pilot, which involved 24 attractions. Visitors arriving on foot to a morning swim session received a free coffee; a boat ride was complimentary for those that collected litter from the canals; and tourists who volunteered at an urban farm were offered lunch. Feedback from those who participated was positive (with some expressing reluctance to do things like litter picking if they were only in Copenhagen for a short time), and the city saw a 29 per cent increase in bike rentals during the trial.

CopenPay is a new way to address concerns around mass tourism and its environmental impact, which have increasingly been making headlines. Rather than implementing punitive disincentives like fees – as Venice, Barcelona and Majorca have done – Copenhagen, which received over 12 million international overnight stays in 2023, aims to make tourism a positive force for change. The Danish capital is attempting a ‘carrot’ rather than ‘stick’ approach.

It’s an exciting idea but, while the industry has commended the innovation of the scheme, it has also pointed out that the impact is unlikely to scratch the surface of things like air travel and cruise ships. Nonetheless, CopenPay, which intends to share its findings with other countries, could mark the beginnings of a ‘regenerative travel’ revolution.