Copenhagen has launched DestinationPay, a new global tourism initiative designed to encourage destinations worldwide to reward visitors for actions that benefit local communities and support more sustainable travel.
The initiative builds on the city’s CopenPay model, a local scheme that invites tourists to actively give back to the destination. Instead of focusing solely on spending, CopenPay rewards simple, positive actions such as cycling to museums, using public transport, or taking part in activities like canal clean-ups. In return, visitors receive cultural incentives, from discounted attractions to exclusive experiences.
Developed by Copenhagen’s official tourism organisation, Wonderful Copenhagen, DestinationPay transforms this local concept into a scalable framework. It provides destinations with tools, data, and practical guidance to create their own reward-based systems tailored to local needs and sustainability goals.
Interest has been swift. Since the concept was introduced, more than 100 destinations have expressed interest in learning from Copenhagen’s approach. DestinationPay now serves as an open knowledge platform responding to that demand, enabling cities and regions to adapt the model rather than replicate it wholesale.
Some destinations are already moving from interest to implementation. Berlin is set to become the first city to roll out its own version, BerlinPay, with plans to launch this summer. In France, the Normandy region has introduced a related initiative called Low Carbon Rate, offering discounts to visitors who choose lower-impact transport options such as trains, buses, or bicycles.
According to Wonderful Copenhagen, the aim is not to gamify sustainability, but to reframe how value is created in tourism. By rewarding behaviour that supports local infrastructure, culture, and climate goals, destinations can influence visitor choices while improving the overall quality of tourism for residents.
As part of the global rollout, Wonderful Copenhagen is inviting destinations worldwide to register as future DestinationPay partners. In February, the organisation will host a free training webinar, sharing insights, data, tools, and a practical manual developed over two years of testing and refining CopenPay.
The initiative marks a step toward what Wonderful Copenhagen describes as a new experience economy, where the value of a trip is measured not only by what visitors spend, but by how they contribute. As pressure grows on cities to balance tourism with liveability and climate responsibility, DestinationPay offers a model that shifts the focus from volume to impact.
