How Copenhagen Is Leading the Next Era of Travel
Gen Z doesn’t want an itinerary, they want an aesthetic. And cities like Copenhagen are delivering.
The people are traveling now, especially Gen Z is changing. It’s not about ticking off bucket list destinations or finding the best rooftop bar anymore, they don’t care about those things. The next generation of travellers want a vibe, an aesthetic that fits with their personal brand. A city that feels like a soft place to land for a while. Most destinations are still trying to impress you. Copenhagen isn’t trying at all, and maybe that’s the point.
It’s spring in Copenhagen. The harbour in the city is coming back to life, boats returning, swimmers testing the water, people catching sun outside cafés like it’s a part-time job. Everyone keeps saying the same thing: “Just wait until summer.”
But here’s what’s interesting, this year, it’s not just the locals who are excited. My inbox has been filling with messages from friends and subscribers who are skipping the typical euro summer destinations this summer. No Amalfi. No Mykonos. No south of France.
They’re coming to Copenhagen. And they’re not asking for top 10 lists. They’re asking:
“Where do you go swimming and sauna?”
“Which natural wine bars do you recommend?”
“Which concept stores are worth visiting on foot?”
That’s when it clicked:
We’re not traveling to see places anymore.
We’re traveling to try them on.
La Bachina, Copenhagen
We’re Entering the Lifestyle Tourism Era
I’m calling it now: we’re moving into the lifestyle tourism phase lead by Gen Z. A shift from travel as performance to travel as a quiet luxury. From sightseeing to inhabiting.
It’s not about escaping your life anymore, it’s about exploring what your life could look like somewhere else.
And the numbers are starting to back this up:
The global wellness tourism market was valued at $814.6 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow to $2.1 trillion by 2030, according to Grand View Research.
In 2022, 21% of global travelers chose wellness or lifestyle-focused trips, a number expected to rise to 29%, based on a 2023 feature by National Geographic exploring the rise of immersive, health- and ritual-driven travel.
Denmark welcomed 32.2 million tourist visits in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to GoWithGuide—yet cities like Copenhagen still feel designed for residents, not just visitors.
That last part is key. Because the cities that aren’t performing for travelers?
Those are the ones we want to be in.
The New Travel Fantasy Looks Like This:
Borrowing a slower daily routine
Moving through a city like a local
Shopping at a local flower stall, not a souvenir shop
Going for a swim, not to a landmark
Visiting a concept store and staying for a coffee and a bun
The harbour swims after second-hand shopping, the design stores, the pink evening light at 7:30pm, it’s not curated. It’s not exclusive. It’s simply how the city lives.
And increasingly, that’s exactly what people are now wanting from travel.
Juno Bakery, Copenhagen
Why Copenhagen Is Perfectly Positioned
Copenhagen didn’t try to become a lifestyle destination. It just quietly became one. Now, more and more people are searching for Scandinavian ways of living—not just in their travels, but in their homes, routines, and even the content they consume. Pinterest is full of Nordic-inspired interiors. TikTok is flooded with videos on Danish morning rituals, cold plunges, and aesthetically pleasing slow cafés.
Here, you don’t need a plan. The city is designed to support ease:
Public spaces that are actually used
Architecture that feels good to move through
Cafés and design studios that blur the line between work, life, and beauty
Systems that make being here feel better than being somewhere else
It’s a city built for living, and that’s what travelers are craving most right now.
From Experience-Driven to Existence-Driven Travel
If the last travel era was about maximizing experiences (see it, book it, post it), the next will be about existence:
What does it feel like to wake up here?
To go to a natural wine bar here?
To swim here?
To do nothing here?
Copenhagen answers those questions without needing to sell you on them.
There’s no performance.
No checklist.
Just a quiet invitation to live well, for however long you’re staying.
Pompette, Copenhagen (Gloobles)
My Trend Forecast?
We’re entering a new chapter in how we travel. The cities that rise won’t be the ones with the flashiest attractions, they’ll be the ones that allow you to slow down, blend in, and build a short term aesthetic.
Copenhagen isn’t the only city ready for this, other cities where I see this happening is Mexico City, Lisbon, Berlin, where you travel there to feel like a local for a week or two.
This summer, I won’t be escaping. I’ll be staying put.
Living slowly, locally, and letting the days stretch long.
And from what I can see, a lot of people are planning to do the same.
I’m working on a few upcoming posts all about how to spend a slower, design-led summer in Copenhagen, where to stay, what to swim in, what to skip, and how to live like a temporary Copenhagen girlie.
If you're considering Copenhagen (or have already been), I'd love to hear from you:
- What are you craving in a summer trip this year?
- What kind of recommendations do you actually want, neighborhoods? second-hand shops? saunas?
- Would a packing list be helpful?
Leave a comment if you have any ideas, your input will help shape what I share next!
”Copenhagen didn’t try to become a lifestyle destination. It just quietly became one.”
In reality, the roots are in active research, marketing, strategy and investments from the early 2000s. It has taken almost 30 years of active efforts from the state, academia, restaurants and other businesses to build the ecosystem and brand.
If you are interested in reading more about it, I can highly recommend ’The rise and fall of the New Nordic Cuisine’ by Jonatan Leer (2016). He studies in his article how contemporary food and consumer culture has been built in Copenhagen — super fascinating!
OMG YES THIS EXPLAINS WHY MY WAY OF TRAVELING IS SO DIFFERENT FROM MY FRIENDS