Copenhagen is becoming less expensive for eco-tourists

In a bid to improve its already green reputation, the tourism board in Denmark’s capital Copenhagen is offering tourists treats for the trash.

From 15 July, the city is trialling a scheme under which tourist attractions in the Danish capital will offer free meals, train tickets and museum visits to visitors who take part in sustainable activities such as rubbish collection or recycling options. ecological transport, such as bicycles.

The initiative, which the tourism board calls “CopenPay”, is a reward system that turns “green actions into currency for cultural experiences”. It’s the latest sustainability effort in a city that has long been considered one of the greenest in the world: Copenhagen residents regularly bike to work and swim in its clean canals.

The scheme could also come as a relief to tourists who find Denmark, with its 25% value-added tax rate, an expensive place to visit. According to a 2023 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Copenhagen is the city with the eighth highest cost of living in the world.

“We want visitors to make conscious, eco-friendly choices,” said Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, chief executive of Wonderful Copenhagen, in a statement. declaration Monday, “and I hope to end up having even better experiences.”

With 602,000 people and 750,000 bicycles, Copenhagen has more bicycles than people and the city wants to encourage visitors to travel on two wheels to offset the “environmental burden” of tourism.

The city’s peak tourist season runs from July to August and last year, Denmark recorded 63 million overnight stays in the country, which Tourist Board he said.

To redeem some of the rewards, visitors may be asked to present a ticket, arrive by bicycle or take a photo performing the activities. Ultimately, though, it’s an honor system and authorities trust visitors.

“After all,” said the tourism board, “the only one you would be fooling is yourself if you failed to do good for our planet.”

Around 24 attractions signed up for the initiative’s experimental period, which runs until August 11th. If visitors to the Copenhagen Museum, for example, arrive on foot or by public transport, they can enjoy a free cup of coffee or a glass of wine at a rooftop bar overlooking the city.

For more active travelers, a free kayak rental is available in exchange for help cleaning the harbor, and ski enthusiasts on the CopenHill slope, which sits atop a waste-to-energy plant, can redeem an extra 20 minutes of time. descent if arriving by public transport.

“Tourists have a unique opportunity to explore Copenhagen in a way that benefits both the environment and the local community,” said city president Sophie Andersen.