Tourists visiting Berlin can now exchange sustainable behaviour for free attraction tickets in an initiative similar to that in Copenhagen.
From 14 May to 14 June 2026, Visit Berlin and the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises are piloting “BerlinPay”, a month-long campaign dedicated to sustainable water tourism.
As part of the new scheme, tourists who water trees, arrive by bicycle or collect litter will be rewarded with benefits from complimentary drinks to vouchers for boat tours on the Spree.
Around 5,000 activities are included in the BerlinPay programme, with 40 Berlin-based businesses and organisations participating with guided river clean-up tours and environmental activities at Berlin’s lakeside beaches.
The Hosek Contemporary art gallery will also invite visitors arriving by climate-friendly means to free concerts every Wednesday. Participants of Visit Berlin’s “Close to the Water” scheme will be invited to exclusive late-night swimming events at Hotel Oderberger.
Sabine Wendt, CEO of Visit Berlin, said: “We are delighted to have secured more than 40 partners for the pilot project, all of whom are participating in the initiative with great enthusiasm.
“BerlinPay demonstrates in an innovative way that businesses and organisations are willing to take responsibility for our city. Through this initiative, we invite Berliners and their guests to experience Berlin in a more mindful way – particularly by and on the water.”
The sustainable tourism model follows the CopenPay model introduced in 2024.
Tourists visiting Copenhagen who show “climate-friendly actions” are rewarded with free drinks, meals and activities under the initiative.
Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s tourism board, introduced the CopenPay scheme in a bid to get tourists to act more sustainably in summer.
In 2025, CopenPay came back triple the size, with 90 participating attractions across Copenhagen and running for nine weeks, from 17 June to 17 August.
Tourists could collect rewards such as free coffees, ice cream, bike rental, organic meals and boat tours, usually in exchange for litter picking or arriving by eco-conscious transport.
Read more: Tourists to be rewarded for arriving in Copenhagen by train
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