How to Get Good Reviews on Travel Review Sites

What if you could get €40,000 worth of new customers for your travel business?

Our client Vanajanlinna, which hosts multiple resorts in Finland, was able to do this in just 2 months.

How?

By showcasing reviews on their website and using exit-intent popups on their landing pages.

Why Are Reviews Important?

Modern people pay less and less attention to advertising that has flooded the Internet. 

Now, banner blindness does not allow you to convey information through standard promos. 

Even if users are interested in your or similar services, most of them will not click on links in advertising.

But people trust reviews and choose products with honest and detailed reviews from ordinary consumers. 

Reviews promote your brand. They show your strengths and weaknesses, helping you understand where the company should go in the future. 

This article discusses how to get good reviews on travel review sites.

Research clearly demonstrates the importance of keeping customers engaged in the reviews. 

99% of people study reviews before purchasing, and 67% of people purposefully search for reviews on Google, trying to compare information from several sources. And all because organic reviews are perceived by the audience on par with recommendations from friends. 

That is, trust in real reviews is higher than in any other promotional tool. And this means you simply must work on your reputation.

There have also been studies on the topic of trust in promotional materials and organic reviews. They all agree that reviews act as a key element of the sales funnel.

Reviews matter for travel companies because the lack of customer reviews can signal that the brand has closed or at least neglected to work with the audience. 

At the same time, consumers’ perception of the travel agency can be significantly affected by the emotional coloring of reviews. Therefore, you need to monitor and respond to them on time. 

Thank customers for positive comments and try to solve the problems of those dissatisfied with the tours. The right approach to working with the audience lets you completely offset negative reviews’ effects, turning them to your advantage.

How Do Reviews Affect Travel Decisions?

When consumers describe what they liked or disliked, they provide you with feedback and help potential clients become more familiar with your offerings. 

1. Building trust and credibility

Travelers rely heavily on reviews to gauge the quality of a service or destination.

Reviews provide first-hand accounts from other travelers, offering a level of authenticity that marketing materials often lack.

A 5-star review on a luxury hotel may emphasize the exceptional service and amenities, making potential guests more likely to book.

2. Highlighting key features and expectations

Detailed reviews often cover aspects not found in official descriptions, such as cleanliness, customer service, or hidden fees.

Travelers gain insight into real-world experiences and can set realistic expectations.

A review noting a hotel’s proximity to popular landmarks could sway a traveler to choose it over a competitor.

3. Influencing perceived value

Travelers compare reviews to the price point to assess if the experience is worth the cost.

Positive reviews that align with a fair price can tip the scales in favor of a booking, while negative reviews can lead travelers to look elsewhere.

4. Impacting search rankings and visibility

On platforms like TripAdvisor or Google, businesses with more positive reviews tend to rank higher, attracting more attention.

Higher visibility increases the likelihood of bookings.

A restaurant with hundreds of glowing reviews often outranks one with fewer or mixed feedback.

5. Addressing traveler concerns

Negative reviews or responses to them provide valuable context, allowing businesses to address potential concerns directly.

Transparent handling of criticism can build trust and even encourage travelers to book despite minor flaws.

A traveler may book a hotel despite one negative review if the manager’s response shows genuine concern and resolution.

6. Encouraging social proof

The more people endorse a travel service, the more comfortable others feel making the same choice.

People often follow the crowd when uncertain, especially for significant decisions like vacations.

A beach resort with numerous “amazing family vacation” reviews becomes a go-to for families seeking similar experiences.

7. Supporting personalized decision-making

Reviews cater to specific preferences, helping travelers find options tailored to their unique needs.

“Perfect for solo travelers” might resonate with someone looking for a quiet retreat.

A review highlighting vegan-friendly meals or kid-friendly activities can guide niche audiences.

The Most Important Travel Review Sites and Review Examples

The impact of online reviews cannot be overstated. 

Before making a travel-related decision, people turn to review sites to hear about the experiences of others. 

Positive reviews can draw potential customers in, while negative ones can deter them. 

But which review sites hold the most sway in the travel and tourism industry? 

Let’s dive into this critical aspect of online reputation management.

Google

Google, including Google Maps, is the largest review platform in the world, and companies working in tourism and hospitality benefit from having a lot of positive Google reviews in their business profile.

When looking for a hotel in a certain area, potential customers can vet the next destination based on many factors: price, location, availability, and guest rating.

It’s quite natural that guests would be looking for hotels that have a lot of reviews and a good average rating.

Who wouldn’t want to visit a hotel that has been praised by other guests?

Hotels need to respond to reviews as well. You should thank customers for their positive reviews and address the negative comments politely.

Here’s another example from a travel agency Bookatrekking.com. The customer reviews truly help potential customers paint a picture of what travelling to the destination looks like.

On top of helping customers make purchase decisions, positive Google reviews can boost your local SEO and help your business stand out in search results.

If you want to tap into this potential, start getting more Google reviews with Trustmary’s easy review campaigns.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor is arguably the most renowned review site in the travel industry. 

It’s a go-to resource for travelers and it has millions of user-generated reviews covering everything from hotels and restaurants to attractions and activities. 

Positive reviews on TripAdvisor can significantly impact your business’s credibility and visibility.

Any business offering services for travelers and tourists should get listed on TripAdvisor and collect reviews. That way, the service will be more likely recommended to other travelers.

Here’s what TripAdvisor says about their ranking policy: “These rankings are informed by traveler reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.”

Here’s an example of a river dinner cruise in Paris that has received over 800 TripAdvisor reviews from customers. The platform even highlights different phrases that often appear in the customer reviews, giving an overview of the experience even before any reviews are read.

The actual reviews highlight customers’ experiences with words as well as images, making a great impression and creating FOMO for the potential customers scrolling through the reviews.

Trustmary offers the easiest way to get more TripAdvisor reviews from your happy customers and saves you a lot of time with the review collection process.

You can also use our TripAdvisor plugin for WordPress to add reviews to your website and manage them on your WP dashboard.

Yelp

Yelp is another influential player in the review site arena. 

While it may have started as a platform for restaurant reviews, it now covers many businesses, making it vital for restaurants, hotels, and tour operators alike. 

There’s something about Yelp that makes people often write long and detailed reviews. For example, this review has been given to Ocean Park Motel of San Francisco:

Yelp might not be as popular globally as the other review platforms, but if you are wanting to attract American customers, it’s well worth looking into.

You can get Yelp reviews easily with Trustmary. Sign up for free and see for yourself!

Booking.com

For accommodation providers all around the world, Booking.com is a key player. 

Travelers often check reviews on Booking.com to make informed decisions about where to stay, or even book directly through the website. 

The site’s review system can directly impact your occupancy rates and revenue.

Visitors search hotels in the area they are planning to visit within a specific time frame, and the platform suggests hotels that are available during that time. The user can further filter the search results by budget, amenities, rating, and many other factors.

It would be expected that within the set filters, the user would choose the establishment with most reviews and the best overall rating.

Feel free to read more about how booking.com customer reviews work in practice.

Expedia

Expedia is a global travel booking platform that includes reviews. Positive feedback here can help your hotel, B&B, or vacation rental property to secure more bookings.

Like Booking.com, Expedia also offers detailed search experience and filters to find the suitable booking.

Hotels have a very high number of reviews on Expedia, indicating that the users are very active at leaving reviews. However, individual reviews are not highlighted too strongly in the listings. Rather, it’s the overall number and rating that matters here.

Add Reviews to Your Website

Finally, many customers will reach to you directly via your own website.

That’s why it’s important to also showcase reviews on your website.

Displaying reviews is easily done with Trustmary’s review widgets. You can either collect new reviews or use the existing ones that you have on various websites.

See how Odyssey Tours and Travels have implemented a stylish Google review widget on their website using Trustmary:

How Do You Encourage Clients to Leave Reviews?

There are many obstacles in the way for a tourist to leave a review. They need to go to a review platform, write a review, and sometimes even fill out a form with more information.

As leaving reviews is voluntary, many customers will simply not bother.

That’s why it’s crucial for the company to make this process as easy as possible for the customer, and make it feel worthwhile. 

The process also contains a lot of work for your (or your employees). You have to remember to request reviews, and perhaps remind customers, yet you still struggle to get reviews.

Also, some employees are not very active in asking for reviews. They might not understand why they must do it. Meanwhile, the task is strategically important.

This poses another challenge: how to get buy-in from your employees to start asking for reviews?

Solution: Streamline Review Collection Process with Trustmary.

This way, you don’t have to worry about any of the above hurdles. You or your employees don’t need to remember anything or spend time on requesting reviews, and your customers get an easy way to leave reviews.

As a travel agency, hotel, tour guide, or another business working in the travel industry, you most likely have access to the customers’ email addresses or other means of communication.

When using Trustmary, you can simply connect it with your hospitality CRM or upload a visitor list after each tour you host, and send review requests and reminders automatically.

We have the best feedback forms for hotels, tour guides, … you name it!

And get this: after you have collected reviews, you can add them to your website to also increase the ROI and conversion rate of your website!

Test it out for free below:

Get Google Reviews for Travel Agency

Trustmary offers an all-encompassing solution for your review marketing strategy, exceeding mere collection:

• Secure reviews: You can effortlessly initiate Google reviews from your satisfied customers via Trustmary’s straightforward review request campaigns.
• Seamless website integration: You can incorporate Google reviews onto your website automatically with an elegant Google reviews widget.
• Quality and quantity: You can opt for reviews that hold genuine value, not just any reviews. Trustmary’s AI system ensures you showcase your most impactful reviews.

Try Trustmary to get Google reviews right now!

Get TripAdvisor Reviews for Your Travel Business

Seeking TripAdvisor reviews from a substantial customer base has never been easier, thanks to Trustmary’s seamless process:

• Link your TripAdvisor page: Upon logging into Trustmary with your business email, effortlessly connect your Tripadvisor review page. Select Tripadvisor as your review platform and simply input the URL address.
• Create your campaign: Design your personalized review request message, the review form, and a reminder message, and configure various settings, all from a single convenient page. Share these with your clients through email, direct links, or embed them on your website.
• Amplify your TripDdvisor reviews: Now, sit back and watch the influx of new reviews! Once they start rolling in, remember to engage with them and easily integrate them into your website using the straightforward TripAdvisor review widget.

Try Trustmary to get Tripadvisor reviews right now!

Conclusion

Garnering positive reviews on travel review sites or hotel review sites is critical to building a successful travel business. You can also learn a trick or two from restaurants. Google reviews for restaurants follow the same principles.

It’s not just about accumulating stars; it’s about cultivating trust and credibility among potential customers. 

Good reviews not only contribute to a positive online reputation but also serve as a guiding light for others seeking unforgettable travel experiences.

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