COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Vacationers visiting Copenhagen this summer time are inspired to take part in uncommon sorts of trip enjoyable, together with plucking floating trash from the Danish capital’s waterways, biking to museums as an alternative of going by automobile, or volunteering at an city backyard.
All these actions are a part of a brand new, four-week pilot mission known as CopenPay that rewards vacationers for “climate-friendly actions.”
“We should flip tourism from being an environmental burden right into a power for optimistic change,” stated Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, the CEO of vacationer board Great Copenhagen, which runs the scheme.
“We wish guests to make aware, inexperienced decisions and hopefully find yourself getting even higher experiences whereas they go to,” Aarø-Hansen stated in a press release earlier this month.
Among the many over 20 sights taking part within the mission is the environmental non-profit group GreenKayak which provides water excursions for vacationer volunteers. They will paddle via Copenhagen’s Seventeenth-century waterways aboard green-colored kayaks, plucking floating trash from the water. The reward? A free two-hour litter-picking cruise. One most important crusing lane heads out to the Baltic Sea.
“If you end up within the ocean, you get invested within the ocean. So, I hope that that may preserve inspiring individuals to not depart trash within the ocean,” Elisabeth Friis Larsen, a spokeswoman for GreenKayak, instructed The Related Press.
Elsewhere, vacationers can trim flower beds, harvest coriander or feed chickens at Oens Have city backyard, then keep for a complimentary lunch. Or get free ice cream in the event that they cycle or take public transport to the nation’s Nationwide Museum as an alternative of going by taxi or rental automobile to scale back emissions.
Guests to SMK, Denmark’s Nationwide Gallery, can attend workshops the place they’re taught the best way to rework plastic waste into jellyfish sculptures.
“The entire concept was that folks ought to convey their very own plastic waste. And out of that, the kids will construct a jellyfish,” defined workshop chief, artist Susanne Brigitte Lund.
Copenhagen’s climate-friendly vacationers’ mission — which started on July 15 and is about to wrap up on August 11 — comes because the world’s high locations are grappling with the burdens of mass tourism. Copenhagen additionally will get its justifiable share of vacationers with greater than 12 million in a single day stays final yr.
Amid demonstrations and protestors firing water pistols at guests, Barcelona Metropolis Corridor introduced final month that it might not renew any vacationer residence licenses after they expire in 2028.
Italy’s Venice not too long ago prolonged a pilot program charging day trippers a five-euro ($5.45) entrance charge to the delicate lagoon metropolis.
And the city of Fujikawaguchiko not too long ago constructed a big black display screen to dam the view of Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji. The explanation: misbehaving international vacationers.
On a latest busy summer time weekend, vacationers thronged Copenhagen’s historic Nyhavn harbor space, as sightseeing ferries squeezed down its slim waterway, filled with smartphone-snapping passengers.
Vacationer Fiona Veira from northwest Spain stated the CopenPay scheme is a “actually good concept,” however provided that guests have the time.
“It relies upon how lengthy you’re going to remain within the metropolis. However if you happen to’re right here for greater than two days then yeah,” she stated. “It’s additionally a very nice method of seeing, interacting with town.”
Veira was conscious of town’s climate-supporting packages, however didn’t take part in any of them as a result of she was visiting Copenhagen for at some point solely and did not have sufficient time.
Many others, nonetheless, admit to leaving their inexperienced ideas at house, as soon as summer time holidays come round.
“I give it some thought once I’m at house, however once I journey, I do take into consideration comfort extra,” stated Caroline Kranefuss from Boston.
College of Copenhagen researcher Berit Charlotte Kaae stated the CopenPay scheme is fascinating as a result of it “places some motion to the idea of sustainability.”
“It’s fascinating to present this hands-on expertise,” she stated. However With a view to tackle the true environmental issues of mass tourism, tourism authorities should look to the supply — transportation.
“We have to work extra on aviation fuels, possibly higher practice service, to keep away from the brief distance flights,” she stated.