TripAdvisor has insisted the vast majority of travellers using the independent review site have found their experience matched their expectations, despite complaints by hoteliers that the site features “misleading” content.
Head of industry relations Brian Payea cited a recent PhocusWright study which found that 98% of respondents had found its hotel reviews to be accurate.
Hoteliers should be using the site to their advantage, he urged, instead of shying away from the possibility of a bad review.
“Travellers aren’t going to rule out a property if it has the occasional negative review,” he told Travel Today, stressing that responding to reviews was crucial, especially if they were negative. “People just want to know how that problem was resolved,” he said.
Although some brands still refuse to “join the conversation,” Payea reported a growing sense of curiosity among hoteliers about how to take advantage of the site.
The firm has accordingly devised webinars and a series of Master Class events to be held in Sydney and Melbourne this week to demonstrate the site’s marketing resources and tools, including analytic tools and listings options.
“There’s a lot of competition out there — the key is making sure that you’re getting the right info in front of the right people,” Payea said.
Meanwhile, he revealed travellers were spending more time online, visiting more pages when researching a trip and reading about individual reviewers to determine the usefulness of a review.
“Not every review is relevant to every traveller,” he admitted, adding that the key was to work out which ones could be helpful.
