What HORESTA does

HORESTA is Denmark's industry and employers' association for the hotel, restaurant, and tourism sector, founded in 1884 and headquartered at Vodroffsvej 32, Frederiksberg (Copenhagen). The organization serves approximately 4,000 member businesses (with the industry collective agreement it negotiates covering roughly 70,000 employees) by providing specialized legal advisory services, sector-specific labor law expertise, industry data and analysis, training programs, networking events, and political advocacy at the national level.

HORESTA's core service portfolio is delivered through a digital member services platform at horesta.dk alongside in-person advisory channels. The platform houses legal advice tools, template documents, e-learning resources, sector analyses, and the HORESTA Play video portal — a branded media channel producing interviews, event coverage, and industry insights for the hospitality sector. In-house lawyers and legal specialists staff a call center providing guidance on employment contracts, dismissals, parental leave, sick pay, collective agreements, food safety, and licensing.

HORESTA operates on a membership-based business model. Members pay recurring annual dues for access to legal advisory services, industry resources, training tools, and a portfolio of negotiated member discounts with third-party providers (fuel via Circle K, insurance via Topdanmark, GDPR tooling via Lexoforms, food safety self-control via eSmiley, coffee solutions via Nespresso Professional, IT/AV via RAW IT). The organization supplements membership revenue with event and conference income from HORESTA Årsdag (annual conference), Hotel Insights, Restaurant Insights, Folkemødet-hosted debates, and partner industry competitions (Bocuse d'Or, DM i Skills, Årets Kok & Tjener). Distribution is direct and nationwide across Denmark, segmented by vertical: hotels and accommodation providers, restaurants and catering, and tourism businesses.

Name

HORESTA

Legal name

HORESTA

Website

https://horesta.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1884

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HORESTA is Denmark's national industry and employers' association, founded in 1884, serving approximately 4,000 hotel, restaurant, and tourism businesses with legal advisory services, collective bargaining, training, industry data, and negotiated member benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederiksberg

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: HORESTA generates revenue through annual membership fees from hotel, restaurant, and tourism businesses across Denmark. Members pay for access to legal advice, industry data, training resources, and member discounts.
2. Events and conferences: HORESTA organizes and hosts events including HORESTA Årsdag (annual conference), Hotel Insights, Restaurant Insights, and debates at Folkemødet, generating revenue through participant fees and sponsorship.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HORESTA is the Danish industry and employers' association for the hotel, restaurant, and tourism sector, providing member businesses with specialized legal and HR advisory services, negotiated collective agreements covering approximately 70,000 employees, industry data and statistics, training and networking events, political advocacy, member discount programs, and a video content platform (HORESTA Play). The organization's primary outputs are advisory expertise, advocacy representation, and operational savings for hospitality businesses across Denmark.

Product overview

HORESTA is a Danish trade association for the hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry, serving approximately 4,000 members with a portfolio of advisory, data, and networking services rather than a software product. The core offering consists of legal and business advisory services (juridisk rådgivning), member benefit programs with partner discounts (medlemsfordele), industry video content platform (HORESTA Play), sector-specific analyses and statistics (branchekendskab), and professional training and events (kurser og netværk). HORESTA functions as a membership organization providing expertise and resources for the hospitality sector, not as a technology or SaaS product provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HORESTA Play: HORESTA's media platform and TV channel covering hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry news, trends, and video content including interviews, event coverage, and industry insights.

Products and services

• HORESTA Juridisk Rådgivning Legal advisory services delivered by HORESTA's in-house lawyers and legal specialists covering employment contracts, dismissals, trainees, leave, licenses, and commercial contracts for members in the Danish hospitality industry.
• HORESTA Medlemsfordele Member benefits program offering exclusive discounts and negotiated deals with HORESTA's partner network, covering fuel and EV charging (Circle K), insurance (Topdanmark), GDPR management (Lexoforms), food-safety self-control (eSmiley), IT/WiFi/AV (RAW IT), professional coffee (Nespresso Professional), and garden/decor (Farmshop Enggaarden).
• HORESTA Play Video content platform serving as the hospitality industry's TV channel, featuring interviews, industry insights, event coverage, and trend analysis targeted at Danish hotel, restaurant, and tourism professionals.
• HORESTA Branchekendskab og Branchedata Industry knowledge and data service providing sector-specific analyses, statistics, and market insights covering Danish hotels, restaurants, tourism, and campgrounds for member businesses.
• HORESTA Kurser og Netværk Training programs, courses, and networking events for the Danish hospitality industry, including the annual HORESTA Årsdag conference, DM i Skills, Bocuse d'Or competitions, Hotel Insights, Restaurant Insights, HORESTA Golf Tournament, and Folkemødet debates.

Quantifiable outcome

• The collective agreement negotiated by HORESTA covers approximately 70,000 employed persons in the industry.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Circle KcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHORESTA has negotiated an improved membership agreement with Circle K providing exclusive discounts on fuel and EV charging. Members receive DKK 2.15 per liter on gasoline, DKK 2.25 per liter on diesel, and 35 øre per kWh for EV charging. The agreement also covers the EUROPE Card for access to over 21,000 stations across 34 European countries.
• Topdanmark (part of If Skadeforsikring)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHORESTA has an agreement with Topdanmark (part of If Skadeforsikring) offering members up to 15% discount on workers' compensation insurance, 20% discount on commercial insurance, 15% discount on motor vehicle insurance, plus free additional coverage for theft from reception, outdoor furniture, and vandalism.
• Nespresso ProfessionalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHORESTA partnered with Nespresso Professional to offer members access to professional coffee machines, high-quality coffee, accessories, service agreements, support, and advisory services tailored to the hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry. The partnership provides advantageous pricing on complete coffee solutions.
• Farmshop EnggaardenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarmshop Enggaarden (Scandinavia's largest pot land) offers HORESTA members free inspiration/guidance sessions (normally DKK 950/hour), 2 free Photoshop sketches, and free shipping on purchases over DKK 10,000 for frost-resistant unique design and water pots suitable for hotel facades, entrances, and terraces.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Restaurant Association (US): U.S. trade association for the restaurant industry offering advocacy, training, research, and member services. Directly comparable to HORESTA's restaurant-segment services, though at a larger scale.
• American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA): U.S. national trade body representing all segments of the lodging industry. Mirrors HORESTA's employer-association and lobbying functions for a much larger but structurally similar hospitality membership.
• UKHospitality: UK trade association for hotels, restaurants, pubs, and broader hospitality. Comparable to HORESTA in delivering advocacy, legal/HR guidance, and member services to a national hospitality membership base.
• DEHOGA (Deutscher Hotel- und Gastronomieverband): Germany's national hotel and restaurant trade association; structurally identical role to HORESTA in Denmark, providing legal advice, collective bargaining, lobbying, and member benefits for the German hospitality sector.
• Hotrec (Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs and Cafés in Europe): Umbrella European hospitality trade body that represents national member associations including those of HORESTA's profile. Comparable at the supranational level for HORESTA's EU-level advocacy work.

Others

• VisitDenmark: Denmark's national tourism development agency. Adjacent to HORESTA's tourism segment in destination marketing and policy advocacy, but a publicly funded body rather than a member-funded trade association.

Broad incumbents

• Dansk Erhverv: Larger Danish trade and employer confederation with broad cross-industry reach including service and tourism. Overlaps HORESTA in employer-association functions but does not specialize in hospitality.

Regional players

• NHO Reiseliv (Norwegian Hospitality Association): Norway's hospitality employers' association within the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, providing collective bargaining, advisory, and advocacy for hotels, restaurants, and tourism — closely parallel to HORESTA in Denmark.
• MaRa (Matkailu- ja Ravintolapalvelut): Finnish hospitality association representing hotels, restaurants and tourism services with collective-bargaining and lobbying functions, structurally analogous to HORESTA in the Finnish market.
• SHR (Svenska Hotell- och Restaurangföreningen / Visita): Sweden's hotel, restaurant, and tourism trade and employer association (now part of Visita). Directly comparable to HORESTA's mandate but serving the Swedish market rather than Denmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@horesta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/horesta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HORESTA