This summer, Europe’s hottest hotspots are fighting back against mass tourism.
Whether in Barcelona, where protesters are splashing water at visitors, or in Athens, where overtourism has reached its peak, European cities are rethinking the way in which they operate an economically necessary industry that has led to strained relations with locals.
Copenhagen knows the way to turn tourism from a negative force right into a positive one: it rewards visitors for making a positive impact, reminiscent of cleansing up the town or cycling from place to put.
The city CopenPay program offers tourists who behave in a climate-friendly manner a “carrot” in the shape of a free lunch, coffee, a kayak tour or museum admission.
The pilot project, which starts on July 15, includes 24 attractions that might be counted towards the rewards – from bike rentals to the Danish National Gallery.
The aim is to encourage visitors to make conscious selections that impact the Danish capital, while also offering them tickets to the town’s foremost attractions. For example, Copenhagen Surf School offers a free lunch to surfers who help clean the beach for half-hour after browsing. her browsing lesson.
“It is an experiment and a small step towards creating a new mindset among travelers,” said Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, the town’s official tourism organization. in an announcement.
VisitCopenhagen
The group cited data It found that tourists are sometimes very willing to act sustainably, but only a small proportion change their behaviour. This prompted Copenhagen to adopt a brand new, “trust-based” approach.
Wonderful Copenhagen explains that the initiative isn’t geared toward boosting tourism, but simply encouraging higher practices.
“We need to transform tourism from an environmental burden into a force for positive change. An important step in this transformation is changing the way we move around the destination, what we consume and how we interact with locals,” said Aarø-Hansen.
Wonderful Copenhagen didn’t return immediately AssetsPlease leave a comment.
The tug of war in tourism
Europe has all the time been a destination for scenic holidays. But in recent times it has also change into an example of the dark side of mass tourism.
Locals often face the consequences of overtourism, which may harm their overall situation. life quality and value of living.
In Madrid, for instance, the locals were expelled from the the housing market because of limited social housing, which has been exacerbated by an increase in holiday rentals to cater to tourists. Meanwhile, Barcelona announced a ban on Airbnb-style short-term rentals from 2029 to release housing for locals.
Amsterdam has also taken motion against overtourism by tightening regulations on smoking marijuana and constructing recent hotels.
Iceland can be currently experiencing a visitor boom and is planning to introduce a tourist tax for hotels, campsites, cruise ships and more.
These measures show how necessary it’s for popular European destinations to limit visitor numbers without deterring them entirely. Tourism is a vital source of income and employment for a lot of these economies.
If the Copenhagen pilot project succeeds in transforming tourism right into a positive force, it could serve for instance for other cities.
