Copenhagen Decides That It’s Time for Tourism to Become a Force for Good

Tourism accounts for nearly 8 per cent of global CO₂ emissions, and with the number of international arrivals predicted to reach 1.8 billion by 2030, action is more important than ever. Copenhagen launches a new tourism strategy, including an ambitious climate roadmap, and calls on the industry to change.

This year’s World Tourism Day marks a new beginning for tourism in Copenhagen. With its new strategy, “Copenhagen, All inclusive,” Copenhagen redefines an outdated and passive form of travel to an active and conscious approach. The future of all-inclusive tourism is not just a ticket to relaxation but a shared responsibility among the industry and guests.

“When we measure the effects of today’s tourism, they are far from all-inclusive. Suppose we want tourism to be a key driver for positive change locally and globally. In that case, we must include negatives, such as pressure on local communities and the CO₂ emissions that come from transport,” explains Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, and continues:

“But we also need to look at all the positives, such as cultural interactions, exchanges, and socioeconomic effects. Without this insight, we will not be able to set tangible and common goals for how we will transform the industry.”

Wonderful Copenhagen wants tourism in Copenhagen to accelerate the green transformation and create enriching encounters between locals and visitors. These are crucial goals if the tourism industry wants to address urgent climate change and over-tourism challenges.

As part of its green ambitions, Wonderful Copenhagen has developed a new climate roadmap that outlines how the Danish capital’s tourism can achieve specific emission reductions by 2030 and 2035, respectively, on its way to carbon neutrality (net zero) by 2050 at the latest. These targets include key factors such as air travel, which are not usually accounted for in similar calculations.

“We must take concrete and ambitious steps to reduce tourism’s climate footprint. Our CopenPay initiative confirmed that there is a genuine motivation among travellers and attractions to take green actions. But we need to speed up and scale up these actions. With our climate roadmap, we lay out our path for the climate actions we need to take in the coming years,” explains Mikkel Aarø-Hansen.

While Wonderful Copenhagen’s new strategy clearly sets a direction for its tourism, the hope is that it can inspire other destinations.

“We want Copenhagen to be the world’s most sustainable destination. And by aiming high, we hope to increase competition among all destinations to be greener. At the end of the day, tourism is a global business, and it takes international efforts to turn tourism into a force for good. Copenhagen has the ability and the responsibility to contribute to this endeavour.”