Heureka is the most prestigious company in the travel and restaurant industry—though the industry’s reputation is generally on the decline
T-Media’s Reputation&Trust survey of the travel and restaurant industry examined Finns’ views and perceptions of organizations in the sector as well as the industry as a whole. The industry’s reputation has declined over the past couple of years. Heureka is the most reputable organization among those surveyed—Korkeasaari Zoo and Linnanmäki were ranked second and third, respectively.
A survey on the reputation of organizations in the tourism and restaurant industry was conducted in April 2023, with a total of 2,140 Finns responding.
Reputational perceptions have a strong influence on people’s behavior toward businesses in the tourism and restaurant industry, and this influence has grown stronger compared to last year. Overall, the industry’s reputation has been on a downward trend over the past couple of years.
Reputation&Trust the Travel and Hospitality Industry. The survey examines the industry’s reputation among Finns in 2023. The figure shows the average score based on ratings across eight areas of reputation. Reputation&Trust, reputation is rated on a scale of 1 to 5.
“At the time, the pandemic gave the industry’s reputation a positive boost. This was likely because people understood how difficult the situation was for those in the industry and that they were doing their best under challenging circumstances. People were more forgiving back then. Since then, both the industry’s reputation and public support have declined and are now even lower than they were before the pandemic,” says Elisa Runsas, an information management expert at T-Media.
Employer reputation crises affect the reputation of employers in the tourism and restaurant industry
The strongest aspects of the tourism and restaurant industry’s reputation relate to social and environmental responsibility, as well as the ability to adapt. The post-pandemic era has required industry players to adapt quickly and reshape their operations to meet the demands of the changed operating environment.
Unlike many other sectors, the perception of the sector’s financial viability is poor. Alongside this economic perception, the next two weakest areas are perceptions related to employment practices and leadership, which are also the key factors in building public trust in the sector.
In a broader ESG index analysis measuring corporate responsibility, the tourism and restaurant sector lags behind Finland’s overall index due to a poor employer image (social responsibility). Social and environmental responsibility, which appears to be a strength in terms of image, is at an average level compared to Finland’s overall responsibility index.
“The industry is perceived by the public as a weaker employer than usual. I believe this stems from various employer reputation crises that have been highlighted in the media. The biggest one was Hesburger’s reputation crisis a few years ago. In reality, however, Hesburger has also managed to strengthen its reputation since the worst of the crisis, even though it still clearly lags behind McDonald’s, for example,” says Runsas.
The most reputable organization in the tourism and restaurant industry is the Heureka Science Center
Reputation&Trust of the tourism and restaurant industry examined the reputation of a total of 17 organizations among Finns. The organizations with the best reputations among those surveyed are the Heureka Science Center, Korkeasaari Zoo, and Linnanmäki.
“Research isn’t just about data; our growing reputation is reflected in the increase in visitor numbers and recommendations. We have succeeded in making Heureka a meaningful meeting place that brings people together to enjoy themselves while learning new things and expanding their scientific knowledge,” says Heureka CEO Mikko Myllykoski.
Overall, service providers in the leisure sector lead the survey, with Särkänniemi—which has seen a significant rise in its reputation, particularly for its ability to innovate—also ranking among the top five.
This is how we conducted the study
The results are based on Reputation&Trust of the tourism and restaurant industry conducted in April 2023, which examined the reputation of organizations in the sector operating in Finland among the Finnish public.
Organizations were evaluated using T-Media’s Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different categories. The areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).
A total of 2,140 Finns participated in the survey. The survey targeted Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.
For more information:
Elisa Runsas, Information Management Specialist
Tel. 050 468 8849, elisa.runsas@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
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Photo: Heureka
