Earn Your Vacation
Traveling is amazing, and these days, it can make our vast world feel smaller than ever. However, travel is expensive. What if we told you that you could get paid to visit a city, even if it came with a catch. Would you do it?
Traveling Trouble
Traveling has never been more popular. With the rise of social media, more and more people crave a picturesque escape to some far-flung country. However, many tourist locations are getting fed up with the visitors.
Traveling Trouble
Tourism has long been a hotly debated topic. In many cities, it is an undeniable source of revenue. However, that revenue comes with some drawbacks that some countries are saying they’re done with.
Anti-Tourism
Venice is a huge tourist location. Yet it is getting tired of the number of people entering. It is enacting daily entry fees and banning things like large groups and loudspeakers.
Anti-Tourism
Even if a country isn’t doing anything, the people are letting their voices be heard. Barcelona and Majorca have been seeing protests in the streets over the influx of tourists.
Welcome To Copenhagen
Despite this, one country is taking an interesting approach to their tourism. Last year, Denmark announced a trial pilot of a program that they’re calling “CopenPay”, and it just might revolutionize travel.
CucombreLibre from New York, NY, USA, Wikimedia Commons
Welcome To Copenhagen
With 600,000 people, give or take a few, Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark. It is bike-friendly and frequently ranks among the world’s greenest cities. It is a haven, and the rest of the world has taken notice.
Welcome To Copenhagen
Ever since the pandemic, Copenhagen has seen record numbers of tourists entering the country. In 2023, the city saw more than 12 million international overnight stays, the majority of them in July and August—peak season for the chilly northern country.
Moyan Brenn from Italy, Wikimedia Commons
Sustainable Copenhagen
Those visiting last year during the pilot program were greeted by screens at the airport and banners on buses announcing CopenPay; the program nudges their tourists into making better choices while they visit.
Sustainable Copenhagen
The director of marketing at the tourism board behind the initiative, Rikke Holm Petersen, explained their thoughts behind it. “We want tourism to be a force for positive change and not an environmental burden”.
Inspiring Change
Even when it is not their intention, tourists can occasionally be careless. As Petersen put it, “When you go traveling, you sometimes forget the good habits you have at home”. After all, how often have you said, “I’m on vacation!”?
Inspiring Change
It is with this in mind that CopenPay was created. In Petersen’s words, “We want to inspire a more conscious, sustainable mindset and behavior amongst travellers”.
Inspiring Change
Although the launch of the program gained a lot of attention worldwide, Petersen insisted that it was not a marketing stunt. They weren’t looking to attract attention; after all, they already have more than they need.
Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark, Wikimedia Commons
How It Works
The principle of CopenPay is not that difficult. In exchange for taking responsible and sustainable actions, you receive a wide range of rewards that can be used during your stay.
How It Works
In order to get your reward, you need to prove that you made the commitment to green action. However, that’s the easiest part!
Sean Da Ros, Wikimedia Commons
How It Works
To prove that you committed to your green action, all you need is a photo. Take a photo of your transportation, whether that be by bike or metro. Then show your picture at the participating location and you’re set!
webjay from Denmark, Wikimedia Commons
How It Works
While transportation is the easiest way to earn rewards, it isn’t the only focus. There are even ways that you can earn rewards before you arrive in Copenhagen!
Ingimar Erl, Wikimedia Commons
How It Works
If you haven’t planned your trip to Copenhagen yet, then it’s time to start thinking carefully. You can earn rewards the moment that you arrive in the city if you arrive by train or electric car. So, if you can do so, do it!
How It Works
There are more decisions that you can make on a day-to-day basis that will get you your perks as well. It’s all about being conscious of what you’re doing and making informed, sustainable decisions.
How It Works
You can participate in environmental cleanups, choose plant-based meals, bring a donation, recycle, or get involved with community gardening projects. All of these actions will get you rewards!
How It Works
If you have the time, consider staying longer. Booking four or more nights in the city will get you rewards as well. This sounds great but what exactly are these rewards?
Green Transportation
During last summer’s pilot program, BBC writer Adrienne Murray Nielson, living in Copenhagen at the time, decided to give the program a test to see how much she could earn back in just a day. The impact was impressive!
Green Transportation
The first thing that she did was go to a popular Danish pastime: a nice quick dip into the sea and a singing session with whoever happened to show up. A nice brisk way to start the morning!
Green Transportation
Starting at 8:00 am, Nielsen jumped into a small pool at the harbor front and then joined about six other people in singing classic songs. A great morning but you want to know about her reward.
Green Transportation
Nielsen earned her reward by walking to the location. In return for that, she got a free coffee for her troubles. One less thing that she had to worry about getting on her own.
Copenhagen By Water
Mindful of choosing green transportation, her next step involved getting an orange rental bike to travel along the waterfront to her next destination. She was heading for an adventure she didn’t have to pay for at all.
CopenPay 2025, VisitCopenhagen
Copenhagen By Water
In exchange for picking up litter along the way, Nielsen and 500 other people got to enjoy a free hour-long boat trip on an electric GoBoat. The boat slowly moved along Copenhagen’s canals offering views of the city’s beautiful historic sites.
CopenPay 2025, VisitCopenhagen
Copenhagen By Water
In exchange for the free trip, the only thing the guests were asked to do was carry small fishing nets and keep an eye out for any trash in the water. Worried about having to work too hard? Don’t be—the canal was so clean, there wasn’t much trash to find!
CopenPay 2025, VisitCopenhagen
Copenhagen By Water
If you’re looking for something a little more physical to get involved with, you can choose GreenKayak instead. At GreenKayak, you are loaned a kayak for two hours, free of charge. The only thing they ask in return is that you hunt for trash while you’re out.
GreenKayak2017, Wikimedia Commons
Copenhagen By Water
Now, looking for trash might not seem all that fun, but most guests are surprised by the joy they get out of it. A GreenKayak employee remarked, “…when people do it, they find themselves enjoying being on a treasure hunt. But it's a trash hunt”.
Jakub Halun, Wikimedia Commons
Hidden Oasis
Nielsen’s next destination was Oens Have (“Island Garden), an urban farm in the middle of the city. Oens Have is filled with plants, from sunflowers to strawberries. It is a one-of-a-kind oasis.
Oens Have - A new urban farm in Copenhagen, GRO (OsterGRO, Oens Have, Gro spiseri & FaellesGRO)
Hidden Oasis
Through CopenPay, you can explore the farm while volunteering in their garden. You may have to get your hands a little dirty but you can lose yourself in the natural oasis, forgetting that you’re in the middle of the city.
Oens Have - A new urban farm in Copenhagen, GRO (OsterGRO, Oens Have, Gro spiseri & FaellesGRO)
Hidden Oasis
The volunteers who offer their time through CopenPay are rewarded with a free lunch filled with vegetables straight from the garden and warm fresh bread. It is an excellent way to both cut costs and meet other travelers.
Hidden Oasis
There is a social aspect to the volunteerism. One tourist traveling solo was attracted by that aspect, remarking, “Around the table, nobody is a stranger”. It provided a sense of community in a foreign location.
Is It For You?
For some people, they support the idea but do not feel that it is suitable for their own needs. If someone only wants to go on a basic trip, or can easily afford the trip already, the idea of “working” on vacation isn’t enough to entice them.
Is It For You?
However, if you’re on a budget or you are just interested in trying something different, then this is the perfect way to explore the city. You get to save a bit of money and make a difference.
Critiquing CopenPay
Some critics suggest that CopenPay, while interesting, doesn’t do enough to make a sustainable difference. They point out that Copenhagen is already such a green city that the incentives do little to change how people would’ve acted—they’d have traveled green anyway.
Critiquing CopenPay
The other problem critics point out is that CopenPay is too small. It’s not what people do in the city but how they get to it. The biggest polluters in travel are the planes and cruise ships.
Piergiuliano Chesi, Wikimedia Commons
Critiquing CopenPay
While CopenPay attempts to get around this by encouraging train or e-car travel, there is only so much that they can do. People traveling from the Americas simply cannot use those options.
CopenPay 2025
Despite these critiques, last year’s pilot run of CopenPay was considered successful. The organizers are excited to announce its return this year with an even larger set of activities and perks.
CopenPay 2025
CopenPay has tripled in size this year. It now has 90 attractions offering a range of discounts and rewards. This includes the already mentioned free cups of coffees and canal tours, to discounted tickets for the National Museum.
Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Wikimedia Commons
CopenPay 2025
If you are looking to enjoy CopenPay this year, then timing is of the essence. This summer, CopenPay will run from June 17 to August 17.
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