benefit them. In the long term, it’s damaging for everyone.” To combat fake reviews, he explains:


“We check IP addresses, check sales files against review content and presence on social media.” West argues that fake feedback is not


new and is short-sighted, but he says: “Unfortunately there is a tiny minority of businesses out there that try to beat any system and buy their way to good ratings. “In the digital world, you have to keep


changing how you approach this,” he adds. “The good news is that consumers are getting smarter at spotting fake reviews. They notice the stilted language, the absence of quirky or detailed criticism you always find in reviews from real customers, which you can’t really fake. They can smell a rat.”


‘People more conscious of ethical issues’ So what trends does West see in travel? He characterises one increasingly common feature as a quest for “Instagram-able moments, on top of all-inclusive holidays, adding more excursions, plugging in extras”. A second trend he notes is that “people


are much more conscious about ethical issues”. He says: “There is a new generation and new expectations.” Third, West suggests longer flights are


increasingly of interest to families. He notes: “We used to say there is no way people will take more than a four-hour flight with


WHY LEAVE A REVIEW? % all who leave reviews


FIGURE 64:


Quality of product/ experience


Value for money


Customer service


67%


73% 74%


0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80


77% 77%


69%


-4 -2 0 2 4 6


-6 -5 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64


children. Now the experience is much better. The world is getting smaller.”


MOST consumers trust user reviews ‘to an extent’, but


younger adults show the greatest trust (Figure 63). Consumers are most likely to comment on the quality of a product or service (Figure 64). Younger adults


show a propensity to leave more negative reviews (Figure 65)


A level of assurance When it comes to customer feedback, West says: “The travel industry in general is doing a good job. In the UK, almost 70% of consumers say they would book another holiday with the company they last booked. That is positive.” But he adds: “It is an ever-changing


market with [high] expectations [and] consumers can be difficult. People want an experience to be special for them. Businesses using companies such as ours can give a level of assurance.”


FIGURE 63: TRUST IN ONLINE REVIEWS % all who check reviews


Don’t trust/ ’it depends’ 4%


Total trust 5%


%


Great trust Trust ‘to extent’


Great trust 24%


Trust ‘to extent’ 67%


Source: Feefo, 2018


10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80


0 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64


Quality of product/ experience


+5 +4


FIGURE 65: LIKELIHOOD OF LEAVING REVIEW WHETHER GOOD/POOR Value


+6


for money +5


+3 +4 +2 -3 -3 -2 -3 -5 -4


[ie -5 = 5 points more likely if poor; 3 = 3 points more likely if good] Source: Feefo, 2018


18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64


Customer service


+5


Poor Good


76% 66% 55% 41% 57% 40% 30% 19% 15% 79%


By age


Travel Weekly Europe Report 2019 | 39


Points difference


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