Copenhagen has achieved the EarthCheck Sustainable Destination Certification, a sustainability certification that only very few destinations have achieved so far.
The certification underlines the credibility of the Danish capital’s sustainable tourism efforts on an international scale, and is expected to help boost the systematisation, documentation, and acceleration of sustainable transition of the local tourism industry even further.
EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destination’s Certification is internationally recognised and scientifically based, and as a ‘third-party certification’ for the travel and tourism industry, Copenhagen has now been audited by an independent expert as well.
It was achieved thanks to a close collaboration between Wonderful Copenhagen and the City of Copenhagen and is in line with Wonderful Copenhagen’s overall tourism strategy ‘Copenhagen, All inclusive’. In the strategy, goal number one, for instance, is to help accelerate the green transition both locally and globally as quickly as possible.
Søren Tegen Pedersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, said: “In a challenged world, a sustainable transition is not only the most overt way forward, but also an international competitive parameter for the city’s tourism.
“In this context, it is imperative to also document the destination’s overall work through third-party certification. And in addition to working with sustainable certification of our tourism organisation, individual partners, and now Copenhagen as a destination, we also wish to influence, and guide actual tourism behaviour in a more sustainable direction.”
The Lord Mayor of the City of Copenhagen, Lars Weiss, added: “With an ambitious focus on green transition, including the reuse of resources and a clean and recreational harbour, Copenhagen is world-class. I’m very pleased, therefore, that the city has now achieved a sustainable certification status as a tourist destination. Tourism strengthens the city, and it is our responsibility that Copenhagen develops as a green destination with a strong attractiveness for local and foreign visitors alike.”
As a benchmark for leading sustainable destinations worldwide, Copenhagen is also currently in 3rd place on the Global Destination Sustainability Index, while Wonderful Copenhagen was the first destination company to obtain a Green Tourism Organisation-certification.