Making Behaviour Change Simple, Rewarding, and Fun: Inside the Latest Speaker Series with Wonderful Copenhagen

At the latest Lead Tourism for Good Speaker Series, we welcomed Jonas Løvschall-Wedel from Copenhagen’s destination marketing organization, Wonderful Copenhagen, to share how the Danish capital is reimagining tourism through rewards.

His message was simple: if we want visitors to change their behaviour, we need to make it easy, rewarding, and enjoyable.

Through Copenhagen's CopenPay initiative, that philosophy is being put into practice in ways that are practical, measurable, and appealing to visitors themselves.

Here are four key takeaways from the keynote:

Make it simple, rewarding and fun

CopenPay is built on a straightforward concept: visitors are rewarded for positive actions, from cycling and taking transit to picking up litter or supporting local initiatives.

But what makes it work isn’t just the incentive, it’s the design. There are no complicated systems or barriers to entry. The experience is intentionally easy to understand and participate in.

As Jonas explained, “We don’t want visitors to just observe and consume. We want them to partake and contribute.”

What surprised many in the room was that the “reward” doesn’t always need to be something tangible. In Copenhagen, activities like harbour clean-ups or urban gardening have proven popular not despite the effort, but because they offer something different.

“We want the souvenir that visitors bring back home to be new ideas, a new mindset, new friends,” Jonas added.

Tourism can drive real behaviour change

At its core, CopenPay is driven by a belief that tourism can be a force for good.

“Tourism should make the world a better destination,” said Jonas.

And importantly, this isn’t just a theory. Thousands of visitors have already taken part, many reporting that the experience changed how they think about their role as travellers.

By giving people simple ways to act—rather than just telling them what to do—Copenhagen is showing that visitors are willing to engage, contribute, and take responsibility when invited in the right way.

A strong idea can travel far

CopenPay has also demonstrated the power of a clear, compelling idea. The initiative has gained global media attention, generating thousands of stories and positioning Copenhagen as a leader in sustainable destination management.

That visibility hasn’t just raised awareness, it has also helped attract partners, inspire other destinations, and expand the reach of the concept.

As Jonas highlighted, when something is easy to understand and genuinely engaging, it doesn’t just work…it spreads.

Looking ahead

Copenhagen’s approach is a reminder that behaviour change doesn’t come from complexity. It comes from designing experiences people want to be part of.

For Banff and Lake Louise, where initiatives like Park Mode are already encouraging responsible visitation, the opportunity is to continue building on this momentum through collaboration, experimentation, and a shared commitment to doing tourism differently.

Start with simple. Make it rewarding. And make it fun!