Holidaymakers seeking to make a difference on their travels will find an increasing number of destinations where their eco-consciousness will be rewarded, thanks to the success of sustainability schemes such as Copenhagen’s “CopenPay” and others inspired by it.
Copenhagen
Instead of tourist taxes and fines to combat the negative effects of overtourism, CopenPay, launched in 2024, saw visitors to the Danish capital earning rewards over the high tourist season for “thoughtful actions,” like taking public transport or riding a bike, helping to maintain public spaces and gardens, or donating and recycling. Not only can the tasks be fun (for example, making a funny hat out of reclaimed materials at the Circus Museum), but they also result in a range of treats, including free restaurant meals, bike rental, yoga sessions, guided tours, and complimentary entry to top attractions.
The non-punitive approach proved popular, with 98% of tourists recommending participation in the scheme. Repeated and expanded in 2025, it is now spreading to other European destinations and beyond, according to Søren Tegen Petersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, who said in a press release: “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 wanting to know more about CopenPay and our learnings. So far, we have shared insights on CopenPay with more than 100 interested parties.”
From Finland to France and beyond
Berlin is reportedly set to commence its own scheme next year, partnering with local firms and developing an app to emulate CopenPay by dishing out perks for train arrivals, longer stays, vegetarianism and other sustainable actions. Further west in Germany, Bremen, working with Deutsche Bahn railways, already has a programme in place which surprises train arrivals with treats, and is borrowing ideas from CopenPay to take it further.
Finland’s Helsinki is on the case too, supporting climate-smart, regenerative actions around the Baltic Sea, while the Swiss reward public transport use with free passes to more than 500 museums and 50% off many mountain rail fares. Look out for ski resorts in France and Italy too, such as Les Gets-Morzine and Via Lattea, which offer discounted ski passes in return for train use.
Similarly, Normandy, in northern France, gives cyclists and those who travel by public transport a 10% reduction on nearly 100 of the region’s historic, cultural, and outdoor attractions and activities.
As well as destination managers and municipal authorities, private companies are taking up the mantle too, for instance, Wild Sweden, a nature-oriented tour operator, which rewards rail travel to Swedish Lapland with spa hotel treats and meals.
Can sustainability be a reward in itself?
The idea of rewarding sustainable actions has been taken a step further in some destinations beyond Europe, such as Fiji’s Loloma Hour, which 21 resorts across the South Pacific archipelago have asked tourists to “give back” one hour of their time to boost various sustainability projects by around 5,000 person-hours.
And in Hawaii, authorities are considering a Climate Advisory Team proposal that would temper some of the highest hospitality industry taxes in the world, with a new concept, based on the local idiom, “A stranger only for a day,” to encourage visitors to see themselves as part of part of the community and part of the solution to the destination’s sustainability challenges.
