CopenPay, the Danish initiative that rewards sustainability

Free bikes, sessions of yoga, guided tours and discounts in museums or restaurants for tourists travelling by train or staying in the city for at least four consecutive nights. It is the tourism initiative sustainable Copenhagen, CopenPay, which this year triples the duration - 9 weeks - and the number of experiences involved. From June 17th to August 17th tourists will be able to 'pay' activities and attractions not with money, but through actions responsible, involving 90 museums, iconic places and local services, including the National Museum, Copenhill, the National Gallery of Denmark, GoBoat, The Urban Garden and the Kronborg Castle in Elsinore. After the success of the project pilot in 2024, recommended by 98% of participants, the body promoter of the Wonderful Copenhagen initiative now aims to inspire cities around the world with a model that rewards sustainable tourism choices with free rental of bicycles, discounted entrances or vegetarian menus. The intent is raise awareness among tourists to make responsible choices, reducing the environmental impact - particularly that of transport - and promoting a new culture of urban tourism, transforming it into an engine of positive change. Tourism is in fact one of the main causes of CO₂ emissions: hence the need to promote a new awareness among travellers and encourage behaviour ecological. In this sense Copenhagen aims to become the most sustainable urban destination in the world and an inspiration similar initiatives at a global level. Moreover, the project pilot had already influenced other cities, becoming part of of the European programme Transition pathway for Tourism, and a Booking.com research has shown that there is a large potential to transform tourism into a force for positive change: 7 out of 10 travellers say they want to leave a destination better than they found it. "Integrating more responsible actions into the experience of visitors - explains S›ren Tegen Pedersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen - CopenPay is redefining the way we at Copenhagen we are getting closer to tourism. Rather than bringing more tourists in the city, the goal is to stimulate our visitors to increase their awareness and travel more sustainable, exploring Copenhagen with more responsibility and receiving unique experiences in return." "With CopenPay - continues S›ren Tegen Pedersen - we aim to increase travellers' awareness of choices and on the impact. At the same time, we provide our visitors a simple and concrete way to contribute to our city. And hopefully, they leave inspired to behave more responsible at home and on their future travels." The ecological face of Copenhagen is already a reality: the city has 750 thousand bicycles in the city (five times more than the car), has 382 km of cycle paths and over 70% of electricity comes from renewable sources. In addition, 70% of the hotel rooms is eco-certified. Now the step next is to encourage and spread this mentality sustainable for anyone entering the Danish capital and the cities from all over the world.