DestinationPay drives more sustainable travel from Copenhagen to the world

DestinationPay drives more sustainable travel from Copenhagen to the world

11-12-25

The city of Copenhagen has officially unveiled DestinationPay, an innovative global tourism model that invites other cities and regions to join a different way of travelling: one in which visitors are rewarded for sustainable and socially responsible actions that truly contribute to local well-being and the environment. Led by Wonderful Copenhagen, the initiative builds on the success of the local pilot project CopenPay, which had already shown how to encourage responsible habits among tourists through real incentives—for example, renting a bike instead of using a car or helping to clean the canals—in exchange for cultural experiences.

DestinationPay is launched with the ambition of becoming a replicable framework worldwide, offering other cities a practical toolkit with data, guidelines and best practices collected over two years. Its goal is to transform the logic of tourism: shifting from prioritising the consumption of services—hotels, restaurants, leisure—to valuing positive contributions to the environment, the community and the planet.

The concept is simple yet powerful: asking tourists not only to visit, but to participate actively. Thus, those who choose to get around by bike, use public transport, arrive by train or electric vehicle, extend their stays, take part in urban or community clean-up efforts, recycle or join environmental activities receive tangible benefits in return: free or discounted access to museums, free bike or boat rentals, guided tours, cultural events, concerts or discounts on accommodation.

The results of CopenPay are striking: in its latest edition, more than 30,000 tourists actively took part, bike rentals increased by 59%, and 98% of participants said they would recommend the experience. In addition, seven out of ten stated their intention to maintain those sustainable habits once back home.

Faced with the demand it generated—more than 100 destinations contacted Wonderful Copenhagen after learning about the model—DestinationPay is presented as the international version those cities were waiting for. Copenhagen itself has already announced that in 2026 it will host a free webinar to share all the knowledge, data and tools developed, in order to make it easier for other territories to adapt the initiative to their own contexts.

In fact, some cities have already begun to move. Berlin, for example, has announced plans to launch a local version—temporarily called “BerlinPay”—inspired by this Danish proposal, while regions such as Normandy in France are studying how to adapt similar low-carbon schemes, with benefits for visitors who arrive by train or use public transport and bicycles.

The potential impact of DestinationPay goes far beyond individual rewards: by incentivising sustainable practices, the model helps reduce the environmental footprint of tourism, promotes responsible use of urban resources and fosters a long-term relationship between visitors and destinations. It represents a new paradigm that redefines what “responsible tourism” means: it is no longer enough just to visit—now the traveller can literally give something back to the place they visit.

With DestinationPay, Copenhagen is not only exporting an idea, but proposing a global shift in mindset: a more conscious, participatory and sustainable form of tourism. And at a time when destinations around the world are looking to reinvent themselves to reduce their impact and maximise real benefits, this initiative does not stand alone: it aims to spread and become the norm. Because today, more than ever, travelling can also mean taking action—and that will benefit not only those of us who visit, but also those who welcome us.

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