Copenhagen "CopenPay" program to be adopted by other European cities

CopenPay…pays off!

Copenhagen offers free boat tours and bike rentals. It even provides a free lunch to tourists for collecting litter, choosing public transport or helping out in a communal garden. Last summer, the Danish Capital launched a new positive approach to tourism. CopenPay rewards tourists for making more conscious choices.

For its second run this summer Copenhagen now also rewards tourists who arrive by train. It is furthermore urging tourists to generally travel less by rewarding longer stays.

The positive Copenhagen approach is spreading internationally as a number of cities and tourist destinations are planning on creating their own local incentive schemes inspired of ‘CopenPay’.

“Since launching CopenPay last summer we’ve been met by an enormous interest from cities and tourist boards from Europe, Asia and North America. All want to know more about CopenPay and our learnings. So far, we have shared insights on CopenPay with more than 100 interested parties. As we aim to contribute to a positive change globally, we are happy to share,” says Søren Tegen Petersen, CEO at Wonderful Copenhagen.

Berlin, Bremen and Helsinki take note

One of those cities considering its own version – inspired by Copenhagen – is Berlin.

”CopenPay stands out as an inspiring example of how creative measures can effectively raise awareness for more sustainable travel. In Berlin, we share this ambition and are currently considering setting up a similar concept tailored to Berlin, in close collaboration with our partners from the visitor economy,” explains Sabine Wendt, CEO visitBerlin.

The capital of Finland Helsinki is considering local initiatives, inspired by CopenPay.

“CopenPay is a great initiative, and we would be delighted to build upon that spirit in collaboration with other destinations — aiming even higher, together. As a city by the sea, Helsinki is eager to collaborate across the Nordics and the Baltics to promote regenerative tourism. And to launch a shared initiative focused on the restoration of the Baltic Sea”, says Tourism Director Nina Vesterinen, City of Helsinki.

Bremen in Germany launched a cooperative campaign with Deutsche Bahn, inspired by CopenPay:

“ The cooperative campaign of Bremen Tourism with Deutsche Bahn to put the spotlight on sustainable travel. CopenPay served as a major inspiration, guiding us to develop new, creative ways to actively reward climate-friendly travel behavior. Overnight guests arriving in Bremen by train received a surprise bag filled with vouchers and small gifts from various local tourism businesses. The campaign was very well received by our visitors. It encouraged us to further expand the concept. For 2026, we are planning an even larger initiative,” tells Oliver Rau, Managing Director of Bremen Marketing and Tourism, Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH.

A model with global reach

As UN Tourism projects a steep increase in global travel with the number of arrivals increasing globally from 1.4 billion in 2019 to 1.8 billion in 2030, there is a need to reconsider how we travel. CopenPay is all about raising awareness about the choices we all make as tourists.

The potential for developing local versions inspired of the Copenhagen initiative extents to destinations around the globe, underscores Rodney Payne, CEO of Destination Think – a Canada based consulting agency.

“With CopenPay, Copenhagen proves that bold ideas can inspire global change. This innovative model shows other destinations how to engage visitors in ways that are both sustainable and deeply connected to local life where travelers become active participants rather than passive consumers,” tells Payne.