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Published by Wonderful Copenhagen, the capital region's tourism organisation, this whitepaper documents the learnings from two full seasons of CopenPay — the initiative that rewards tourists for making sustainable choices during their visit. Launched as a pilot in summer 2024 with 24 partner attractions, the programme expanded to 90 attractions in 2025 and has now attracted interest from over 100 destinations globally.
CopenPay operates on a simple trust-based mechanism: visitors demonstrate eco-friendly behaviours — arriving by train or electric car, cycling, participating in harbour clean-ups or urban farm volunteering, choosing extended stays, or eating plant-based food — and receive experiential rewards in return, from free bike hire and museum entry to meals and kayak tours. The programme was founded on research showing that 82% of travellers want to behave more sustainably, but only 22% change their behaviour without an incentive.
The 2026 whitepaper presents impact data from the programme's first two years, including measurable increases in bike rental uptake and public transport use, and behavioural changes that participants report carrying home. It also introduces DestinationPay, a turnkey framework enabling other cities and regions to replicate the model with a full playbook, action-reward pairing guidance and operational support from Wonderful Copenhagen.
For DMOs, the whitepaper offers one of the most data-backed case studies available on reward-based sustainable tourism policy, directly addressing the question of how to close the gap between visitor intent and behaviour without punitive measures.
Published by Wonderful Copenhagen, the capital region's tourism organisation, this whitepaper documents the learnings from two full seasons of CopenPay — the initiative that rewards tourists for making sustainable choices during their visit. Launched as a pilot in summer 2024 with 24 partner attractions, the programme expanded to 90 attractions in 2025 and has now attracted interest from over 100 destinations globally.
CopenPay operates on a simple trust-based mechanism: visitors demonstrate eco-friendly behaviours — arriving by train or electric car, cycling, participating in harbour clean-ups or urban farm volunteering, choosing extended stays, or eating plant-based food — and receive experiential rewards in return, from free bike hire and museum entry to meals and kayak tours. The programme was founded on research showing that 82% of travellers want to behave more sustainably, but only 22% change their behaviour without an incentive.
The 2026 whitepaper presents impact data from the programme's first two years, including measurable increases in bike rental uptake and public transport use, and behavioural changes that participants report carrying home. It also introduces DestinationPay, a turnkey framework enabling other cities and regions to replicate the model with a full playbook, action-reward pairing guidance and operational support from Wonderful Copenhagen.
For DMOs, the whitepaper offers one of the most data-backed case studies available on reward-based sustainable tourism policy, directly addressing the question of how to close the gap between visitor intent and behaviour without punitive measures.
