Copenhagen rewards eco-friendly travelers with free kayak tours, ice cream and more
Travelers to Copenhagen can soon pay for perks at some of the Danish capital's coolest attractions by going for a bike ride, showing a train ticket and partaking in other climate-friendly activities.
The barter system is part of a new initiative called CopenPay, which the city is piloting this summer from July 15 through Aug. 11, Wonderful Copenhagen (the city's tourism organization) shared with TPG. As part of the project, travelers can trade sustainable actions for free perks at dozens of attractions throughout the city, including complimentary ice cream at the National Museum of Denmark, free coffee at the Museum of Copenhagen and more.
"It is a core task for us to make travelling sustainable. And we will only succeed if we bridge the large gap between the visitors' desire to act sustainably and their actual behaviour," Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, the CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, said in a statement shared with TPG. "We want visitors to make conscious, green choices and hopefully end up getting even better experiences while they visit."
The pilot project aims to showcase Copenhagen's extensive sustainability efforts (Denmark was TPG's most sustainable destination in 2022) and allows travelers to use green actions as currency.
It also comes as Copenhagen is easier to get to than ever thanks to a pair of new nonstop flights launched last month on both American Airlines, which will fly to the city from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and Scandinavian Airlines, which will fly from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).
Here is what travelers need to know to take advantage of the CopenPay program.
Which green actions count as currency?
Tourists and residents are eligible to redeem rewards when they ride public transportation, walk or bike to an attraction. Other eligible actions include volunteering in an urban garden, collecting trash and helping with cleaning up a beach. Different attractions require different actions.
How do you show proof of a green action?
Travelers can show proof of train tickets or photos of themselves biking or participating in a cleanup effort, but Wonderful Copenhagen said mostly "CopenPay is built on trust."
What can travelers score?
Travelers can get a variety of different free perks that vary by attraction. The full list is available online. Some highlights include:
- A free vegetarian lunch by volunteering in the urban garden Oens Have
- A free glass of rosé and a free rental of petanque balls when arriving on foot or by bike at the Skurets Vinsalg wine store at Langelinieskuret, the city's historic former customs house
- A free kayak rental when collecting waste on the water with GreenKayak
- Free admission to the Karen Blixen Museum when helping to tend the historic garden
- A free cup of coffee with the purchase of an entry ticket to the Museum of Copenhagen when arriving on foot, by bike or by metro
- A free ice cream with the purchase of an entry ticket to the National Museum of Denmark when arriving by bike or by metro
Related reading:
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month