European Cities, Copenhagen, Berlin And More Incentivize Sustainable Tourism With Innovative Rewards

Published on August 22, 2025

Cities crossed Europe, Copenhagen, Berlin and much are launching smart reward programs to boost eco-friendly travel, borrowing ideas from Copenhagen’s CopenPay success. These schemes motivate visitors to take greener choices, for illustration taking nationalist transport, cleaning up parks, aliases simply spending other nights. As much places subordinate nan wave, it’s clear that sustainable tourism is nary longer optional, it’s nan caller recreation standard.

Copenhagen Leads pinch CopenPay Program

Copenhagen’s CopenPay strategy has been nan frontrunner successful integrating rewards into sustainable tourism. Launched successful 2024, nan programme incentivizes visitors who prosecute successful eco-friendly behaviors specified arsenic nationalist carrier use, litter collection, and volunteering successful communal gardens. Participants gain rewards for illustration free motorcycle rentals, vessel tours, and moreover meals successful speech for their efforts. The initiative’s occurrence has sparked wide interest, pinch complete 100 cities crossed Europe, Asia, and North America seeking insights into really Copenhagen implemented its model.

Søren Tegen Petersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, expressed that nan consequence has been overwhelming. Cities and tourer boards are eager to adopt akin schemes to promote travelers to make much sustainable choices. The programme has besides gained nickname arsenic a applicable and enjoyable measurement to prosecute visitors successful climate-conscious activities.

Berlin and Other Cities Follow Suit

Berlin is readying to rotation retired its ain type of nan CopenPay inaugural successful 2026. The city’s projected rewards strategy will admit travelers who return trains to Berlin, enactment for extended periods, devour plant-based meals, and prosecute successful eco-friendly activities. In return, participants will person benefits specified arsenic discounts connected depository tickets, free bicycle rentals, and complimentary meals.

The metropolis intends to usage mobile apps and points-based systems to streamline this process and partner pinch section businesses to make rewards easy accessible. Berlin’s extremity is to adjacent nan spread betwixt tourists’ intentions to beryllium much sustainable and their existent behavior, creating an situation wherever responsible tourism becomes a seamless portion of nan recreation experience.

Bremen’s Collaborative Approach

Bremen, a metropolis successful bluish Germany, has already launched its ain initiative, moving intimately pinch Deutsche Bahn to beforehand sustainable travel. As portion of Bremen’s rewards program, visitors arriving by train are greeted pinch astonishment goodie bags containing vouchers and gifts from section businesses. This attack has been good received, pinch plans for an expanded inaugural successful 2026 to further position Bremen arsenic a sustainable tourism destination.

The rewards programme successful Bremen intends to promote much visitors to take sustainable recreation options, pinch nan city’s tourism committee looking to pull visitors who prioritize biology responsibility. Oliver Rau, managing head of Bremen Marketing and Tourism, emphasized nan value of these initiatives successful making Bremen a leader successful sustainable tourism.

Helsinki’s Green Travel Focus

Helsinki is different metropolis readying to replicate Copenhagen’s success. The Finnish superior is peculiarly focused connected regenerative tourism, aiming to support nan restoration of nan Baltic Sea and different biology projects. Helsinki’s programme will promote visitors to opt for sustainable modes of transport, for illustration cycling and nationalist transport, while rewarding them pinch perks for illustration free meals and discounted tours.

In summation to its biology aims, Helsinki will collaborate pinch different Nordic and Baltic Sea destinations to beforehand a cohesive attack to sustainability crossed nan region. The metropolis hopes to create a exemplary that not only benefits nan situation but besides boosts nan section system by drafting eco-conscious tourists.

Incentives Across Europe

Other European regions person besides introduced their ain sustainable tourism incentives. Popular skis resorts for illustration Les Gets-Morzine successful France and Via Lattea successful Italy are offering discounts connected skis passes for visitors who recreation by train. Meanwhile, successful Switzerland, visitors who usage nationalist carrier use from free entree to complete 500 museums, on pinch discounts connected upland railways.

Additionally, successful nan French region of Normandy, a low-carbon tariff offers discounts to visitors walking by train, bus, aliases bike. This initiative, which covers 90 attractions and activities for illustration depository visits and motorcycle rentals, is portion of nan region’s committedness to reducing c emissions and promoting sustainable tourism.

Rewarding Responsible Tourism

The move toward rewarding sustainable recreation is gaining momentum, and much cities are apt to travel suit successful nan coming years. These programs not only supply applicable solutions to overtourism and ambiance alteration but besides prosecute visitors successful meaningful ways, allowing them to acquisition destinations while contributing to their preservation. As much European cities present specified schemes, sustainable tourism is group to go a cardinal pillar of nan continent’s tourism manufacture successful nan years ahead.

Guide For Travellers

Choose Eco-Friendly Transportation: Opt for trains, buses, aliases bicycles alternatively of cars aliases flights to trim your c footprint. Many cities, for illustration Berlin and Copenhagen, connection rewards for travelers who take nationalist carrier aliases get by train.

Engage successful Local Environmental Initiatives: Participate successful activities for illustration litter collection, volunteering successful organization gardens, aliases joining section eco-events. In cities for illustration Copenhagen, you tin gain rewards specified arsenic free meals aliases motorcycle rentals for these actions.

Support Sustainable Accommodations: Stay astatine hotels and guesthouses pinch greenish certifications aliases eco-friendly practices. Look for accommodations that beforehand power efficiency, discarded reduction, and sustainability efforts.

Embrace Plant-Based Eating: Opt for plant-based meals during your travels to trim biology impact. Several cities, including Berlin, reward visitors who take plant-based eating options pinch discounts and free services.

Stay Longer to Reduce Your Footprint: Consider extending your enactment successful a destination to trim nan wave of long-distance travel. Some cities, for illustration Berlin, connection perks for visitors who enactment longer and take sustainable activities.

The Bottom Line

Cities for illustration Copenhagen, Berlin, Helsinki, and Bremen are rolling retired imaginative reward programs that are changing really we deliberation astir responsible tourism successful Europe. By offering perks for greenish choices—like biking, utilizing nationalist transport, aliases eating local-these metropolises are demonstrating that moreover mini regular decisions adhd up to large wins for nan planet. Their efforts beryllium that walking pinch attraction isn’t conscionable a bully idea; it’s a applicable measurement to protect our shared location for nan generations yet to come.