Europe’s most popular hotspots are fighting back against mass tourism this summer.
Whether in Barcelona, where protesters sprayed tourists with water, or in Athens, where overtourism has reached its peak, European cities are rethinking how to run a vital economic industry that has strained relations with locals.
Copenhagen has a solution that can transform tourism from a negative to a positive force: by rewarding tourists who make a positive impact, clean up the city or get from one place to another by bicycle.
The city’s CopenPay program offers “carrots” including free lunch, coffee, kayaking tours or museum tickets to visitors who take climate-friendly actions.
The pilot scheme will launch on July 15, with 24 attractions counting towards rewards, ranging from bike rentals to the National Gallery of Denmark.
The aim is to influence the Danish capital by encouraging visitors to make conscious choices, while inspiring them through access to the city’s main attractions. For example, Copenhagen Surf School will provide surfers with a free lunch and help them clean up the beach for 30 minutes after their surfing lesson.
Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, Copenhagen’s official tourism organization, said in a statement: “This is an experimental attempt and a step towards creating new thinking among tourists. One small step.
Visit Copenhagen
The organization cited data that found tourists were often very willing to take sustainable actions, but only a small proportion changed their behavior, prompting Copenhagen to adopt a new approach “based on trust”.
Wonderful Copenhagen says the initiative is not about increasing tourism, but simply promoting a better way to achieve this.
“With this specific project, our focus is on promoting sustainable practices and enhancing the travel experience for those who are already here, rather than attracting more tourists. If the pilot program is successful, perhaps it can inspire other cities to adopt Copenpay. wealth.
Tourism tug of war
Europe has always been a picturesque holiday destination. But more recently, it has also become an example of the downsides of mass tourism.
Locals often face the effects of overtourism, which can harm their overall quality of life and cost of living.
In Madrid, for example, locals are being priced out of the housing market due to limited social housing, and the situation is exacerbated by an increase in holiday rentals to cater to tourists. At the same time, Barcelona announced a ban on Airbnb-style short-term rentals from 2029 to free up housing supply for locals.
Amsterdam is also trying to curb overtourism by tightening rules on marijuana use and new hotel construction.
Iceland, which has also been on the receiving end of a tourist boom, plans to impose a tourist tax on hotels, campgrounds, cruise ships and more.
The measures show that popular European destinations are striking a delicate balance between limiting the number of visitors and discouraging them entirely. Tourism is a major source of income and employer for many economies.
If Copenhagen’s pilot scheme succeeds in transforming tourism into a force for good, it could serve as a model for other cities.
“We must transform tourism from an environmental burden into a force for positive change, and an important step in this transformation is changing the way we travel in destinations, consume content and interact with local people,” Wonderful Copenhagen’s Arrow- Hansen said.
Update, July 11, 2024: This article has been updated with comments from Wonderful Copenhagen.
