Copenhagen
The death of tourism?
IN THE DANISH CAPITAL OF COPENHAGEN, ‘HEDONISTIC SUSTAINABILITY’ IS ATTEMPTING
TO STEM THE RISING TIDE OF OVERTOURISM AND CARBON EMISSIONS. STUART WOOD REPORTS
’m standing on the roof of a
green garbage burning
facility in North
Copenhagen.
Copenhill, which has been open for
only a week when I arrive, is the city’s
newest tourist attraction. It features
skyline views over the Danish capital, as
well as the many wind farms off its
blustery eastern shore. The emissions
coming out of its gleaming main tower
(pictured right) are cleaner than the air
we are breathing below, while the
facility is providing heating and
electricity to homes around
Copenhagen.
But it isn’t the garbage which is
drawing in visitors - it’s the enormous
artificial ski slope which runs down the
entire back side of the building.
‘Hedonistic sustainability’, the venue’s
sales director tells us, was the guiding
principle of world-renowned Danish
architect Bjarke Ingels, whose studio
masterminded Copenhill. The goal was
to make sustainable technology fun, and
accessible for everyone. It is a daring
new approach that is focused on
educating with a carrot, not a stick. It is
also nothing short of absolutely genius.
The facility has already attracted
some high-profile guests. An hour
before we arrived, we’re told that Game
of Thrones’ Jamie Lannister (aka Danish
actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), was here.
The space was used for a live gig on its
opening weekend, and Copenhill has
formed a partnership with the nearby
Scandic Falkoner hotel, to send groups
of conference delegates launching down
its green slopes.
trillion. But, in an age facing a climate
crisis and traffic jams on Mount
Everest, this growth must be managed
responsibly.”
Becker analysed some case studies in
overtourism, with a particular focus on
Barcelona. The Spanish capital has a
local population of 1.6m, but attracts a
staggering 30m tourists every year. Ada
Colau, who was elected Mayor in 2015,
has been on a controversial mission to
tackle this problem. She has cut the
number of cheap flights to the city, and
faced a legal challenge from Airbnb
after shutting down many unregulated
properties on the site. These measures
are an attempt to stop ‘drive-by
tourism’ - in which travellers hit a
Above:
The war on overtourism
They were just in time, too.
The main tower
at Copenhill
Make it Dane
Copenhagen is welcoming the
World Water Congress and
Exhibition to the Bella Center in
2020. The event, organised by the
International Water Association and
Danish Water and Wastewater
Association (DANVA), will take
place from 18-23 October next year.
The event’s theme will be ‘Water
for smart, liveable cities’. It will
bring together city planners,
scientists and decision makers to
discuss the latest innovations in
water management.
Miriam Feilberg, Senior Advisor
at DANVA, said: “Rising awareness
about climate change has led to
more young people getting involved
in the water management industry.
In the future, cities will have to
adapt to the changing climate, and
increasing levels of rainfall.”
Copenhagen served as the host city of
two major environmental congresses in
October - the C40 Mayor’s Summit, and
Tomorrow’s Urban Travel (TUT).
CMW was in attendance at the latter
event, which attracted a selection of
experts to discuss the current state of
tourism worldwide, and the challenges
it faces in the future.
“Tourism is no longer a hobby - it is
an economic force,” says New York
Times journalist Elizabeth Becker, who
delivered the first keynote of the event.
“Today, the tourism industry is the
world’s largest employer. Last year,
studies found that one in five jobs
worldwide were in tourism, and that the
industry was collectively worth USD$8
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