Copenhagen's new plan for tourists, 'Have fun, save the planet, earn rewards!'

Copenhagen is turning tourism on its head with a cool new idea: rewarding visitors who go green! Instead of getting mad at tourists for causing problems, the city's tourism agency, Wonderful Copenhagen, wants to give them perks for making eco-friendly choices.

Mikel Aaro-Hansen, the CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, says they want visitors to make smart, green choices and have even more fun on their trip. "We're encouraging tourists to be eco-friendly and at the same time, enjoy everything our city has to offer," he explained.

Here's how it works: tourists can earn rewards by doing green things like biking around the city, helping clean up beaches, or volunteering at urban farms. These rewards can be used for free museum tours, renting kayaks to paddle around, or eating tasty meals made with local ingredients.

For example, if you bring plastic waste to the National Museum of Denmark, they'll let you join an art workshop. And if you bike to the Amager Resource Centre, you'll get extra time to ski on CopenHill, a ski slope made from a big garbage-burning plant. Even volunteers at the Karen Blixen Museum garden get free entry to the museum.

Copenhagen's mayor, Sophie Hestorp Andersen, thinks it's a great idea. "I'm excited about this plan that mixes our city's culture with taking care of our planet," she said. "By turning green actions into rewards for fun experiences, tourists can explore Copenhagen in a way that helps the environment and supports our local community."

Tourism can create a lot of pollution, so cities around the world are trying new ideas like this to make sure tourists don't hurt the planet too much. Copenhagen's program is just starting out from July 15 to August 11, but they hope it will inspire more cities to think green when it comes to tourism.

Copenhagen is joining places like Hawaii and Palau, where they're also giving bonuses for being eco-friendly. In Hawaii, you can get discounts on hotels if you act green, and in Palau, tourists promise to keep the islands clean when they arrive.

These ideas show how cities are trying to make sure tourism grows in a way that's good for the Earth. It's a fun way to travel and help out at the same time!

[With information from Kathimerini.gr]