European sustainable tourism incentive models

European destinations are transitioning from traditional methods of fines and restrictions to reward-based models to promote sustainable tourism and combat overtourism.

Following the implementation of Copenhagen’s ‘CopenPay’ initiative—which provides perks like free meals and bike rentals for responsible behaviors such as using public transport or collecting litter—other cities including Helsinki and Bremen have expressed interest in similar systems.

In the United Kingdom, Exmoor National Park has introduced a ‘Pay with Care’ scheme, offering a 20 percent discount at park centers for visitors who engage in eco-friendly activities. Additionally, Alpine ski resorts in Italy are providing up to 25 percent discounts on lift passes for travelers who arrive in locations such as Oulx by train. The trend has expanded across the continent, with Alpine resorts in France and Switzerland joining Italian locations in offering discounted lift passes to travelers arriving by train. In France, cultural sites in Normandy provide concessions for visitors arriving via bus, train, or bicycle. Meanwhile, German cities such as Berlin and Bremen are utilizing free sightseeing tours and discounted entries to encourage environmentally conscious exploration.

The influence of Copenhagen’s models continues to grow. In Germany, the city of Rostock is exploring a similar model called ‘RostockPay’ to incentivize eco-friendly travel. Managed by a task force including sustainability manager Mila Zarkh, a potential pilot project could offer rewards, such as upcycled bags, to tourists who arrive by train. This follows previous testing in Bremen through ‘BremenPay’, which provided discounts and city tours to promote sustainable arrival methods.