A popular European destination will “reward” UK tourists for good behaviour. Copenhagen in Denmark in the European Union has set up a “CopenPay” scheme which is designed to offset the “environmental burden” of tourism, according to the Copenhagen tourist board.
Tourists will be rewarded with free food and activities if they participate in environmentally friendly tasks while visiting Copenhagen, the city’s tourist board has announced. The trial scheme, which begins on 15 July, will see tourist attractions in the Danish capital offer rewards for activities such as litter-picking, travelling by public transport or biking around the city.
Under the initiative, visitors can claim free lunches, coffees, glasses of wine and kayak rental in return for their work. Kristijan Svajnzger, Regional General Manager for Northern Eastern Europe at Intrepid Travel, praised the concept to Business Insider: “This is a great way to educate and reward people who are doing the right thing rather than penalize people who are doing the wrong thing when it comes to sustainability.”
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The CopenPay scheme is set to kick off its trial run on July 15. “When you travel abroad – if you fly to other places or you travel by car – you pollute,” says the tourist board’s communications chief Rikke Holm Petersen. “One of the things we can change is getting people to act more sustainably at the destination.”
The plan is only a “little step towards the green transition”, Ms Petersen admits. The project is “trust-based”, meaning attractions are unlikely to ask for proof that the green activity has been completed. “In some attractions you might have to show a picture of you riding a bike, or of your public transportation ticket,” she says.
Ms Petersen anticipates a “small percentage” of visitors to the city will participate in the trial, which runs until 11 August.