Copenhagen Leads the Way in Sustainable Tourism: DestinationPay Expands Globally, Offering Travellers Rewards for Eco-Friendly Actions in Cities Like Berlin, Paris and Beyond

Published on December 5, 2025

Copenhagen is leading the way in sustainable tourism with its innovative initiative, DestinationPay. This program has already begun to make waves globally, offering travellers exciting rewards for eco-friendly actions. Whether it’s choosing sustainable transport, like cycling or taking the train, or participating in local clean-ups, visitors are now rewarded for their positive contributions. DestinationPay has expanded beyond Copenhagen, and cities like Berlin and Paris are already eyeing this model. The idea is simple yet powerful: travellers earn rewards by making conscious decisions that benefit the environment and local communities. As more destinations embrace this model, DestinationPay is becoming a game-changer in the travel industry, encouraging a shift towards responsible and sustainable tourism. With its global expansion, Copenhagen is proving that sustainability can go hand in hand with rewarding, unforgettable travel experiences.

From Local Experiment to Global Blueprint

What began as a city‑level pilot in the summer of 2024 — CopenPay — has now matured into a full‑blown global framework open to any city or region willing to follow suit. Under CopenPay, visitors to Copenhagen could “pay back” the city by choosing bikes over cars, arriving by train instead of flying, participating in harbour clean‑ups or community‑garden volunteering — simple, low‑impact actions with a tangible benefit to the city.

With increasing demand — more than 100 destinations reached out seeking to replicate the model — DestinationPay has been unveiled as a turnkey solution. The idea: provide a ready-made toolkit, playbook, data insights and support so any destination can launch its own version.

Why DestinationPay Matters: Tourism Meets Purpose

Rewarding Conscious Travel, Not Consumption

For decades, tourism has often been equated with spending — hotels, restaurants, nightlife, souvenirs. DestinationPay flips that equation. It treats sustainable or community‑minded actions as a form of currency. Want a free boat ride, museum entry or bike rental in Copenhagen? Just arrive by train, rent a bike, or help clean a canal. This transforms travel into something deeper — participation and responsibility, rather than consumption.

Encouraging Real Behaviour Change

Data from CopenPay shows the impact is not trivial. Bike rentals in Copenhagen jumped; public‑transport use increased; and many participants reported that the changes stayed with them — at home and abroad. Such behavioural shifts are precisely what global tourism needs, especially at a time when climate impact, overtourism and local-resident friction are serious concerns.

Moreover, the 2025 version expanded to reward more than just cycling or litter‑picking. Travellers arriving by train or electric car, or those opting for longer stays instead of quick weekend hops, were eligible for perks — a move aimed at reducing not only local emissions but also the carbon footprint of travel itself.

A Global Invitation: Who’s In — and Who’s Watching

At the launch event for DestinationPay during the European Tourism Forum in Copenhagen, the official invitation was clear: destinations worldwide are welcome to join. Already, several regions and cities have signalled serious interest.

One of the first adopters will likely be Berlin. The local tourism agency there is reportedly working on its own version — dubbed BerlinPay — with a target launch in summer 2026. Under BerlinPay, travellers could earn perks for using public transport, cycling, staying longer, or joining eco‑friendly initiatives like park clean‑ups.

In addition, regions such as Normandy in France are exploring how to integrate DestinationPay into existing programs, especially those that already incentivise train travel and low‑carbon mobility.

How Does It Work — Practical Mechanics Behind the Magic

DestinationPay packages the CopenPay logic into a replicable format. Any destination willing to launch its version receives:

• A playbook explaining how to set up the scheme: from how to structure rewards, to potential action‑reward pairings.
• Data and insights from two years of CopenPay operations — what worked, what didn’t, user feedback, sustainability impact figures.
• Guidance on partnering with local venues, attractions and businesses willing to offer perks (bike rentals, museum entry, meals, discounted tours, etc.) — often without requiring direct subsidies, instead leveraging unused capacity or shoulder‑period promotions.
• A commitment to sharing both successes and challenges — recognizing that the model is experimental and learning‑oriented, not a one‑size‑fits‑all formula.

As part of the launch, DestinationPay organisers will hold a free online webinar in February 2026, inviting interested tourism boards and destination managers to learn how to replicate the model.

Benefits — and the Risks / Critiques

What’s To Gain

• Sustainability meets experience: Tourists gain unique, local experiences in exchange for low- or no-cost actions. It transforms eco‑responsibility from chore to opportunity.
• Better relationships with locals: By focusing on positive contributions (clean‑ups, volunteering, sustainable transport) instead of raising prices or imposing restrictive rules, the model may reduce tensions between residents and visitors that often grow in overtouristed cities.
• Scalable across geographies: Because the model is relatively low‑tech (proof-of-action can be a ticket, a photo, a reusable cup), it can be adapted even in destinations without advanced digital infrastructure.
• Long-term behaviour change: Early data suggests participants often retain environmentally conscious habits post‑trip, amplifying the impact beyond one holiday.

What Could Go Wrong

• Risk of encouraging more travel: By rewarding visiting, the model might inadvertently incentivise more frequent — and therefore more carbon‑intensive — trips, offsetting some sustainability gains. Analysts have raised this concern.
• Greenwashing trap: If destinations adopt the scheme superficially without real commitment to environmental protection, it could slide into a marketing gimmick rather than a genuine change agent.
• Dependence on local buy‑in: Success depends on attractions, businesses and the local community being onboard. Without authentic engagement, the model could falter.

What This Means for the Future of Travel

DestinationPay represents more than a tourism gimmick. It signals a shift in mindset — from “tourism as extraction” to “tourism as contribution.” If adopted broadly, it could help relieve pressure on overburdened cities, reduce environmental impact, and foster more meaningful connections between travellers and destinations.

For destinations struggling with overtourism backlash — overcrowded streets, rising rents for locals, environmental degradation — this model offers an alternative to punitive measures like entry taxes or visitor quotas. Instead of discouraging, it rewards thoughtful travel. To the traveller, it offers a chance to do good without sacrificing experiences — to see a city not just through the lens of consumption, but through action.

Source: PhocusWire