Trust model for online reviews of tourism services and evaluation of destinations

Abstract

Obtaining information about destinations and services they provide is ever more based on user-generated content (UGC), which includes reviews of tourism services as well as evaluation of attractions and destinations by visitors. The growing importance of reviews of tourism services is recognized by tourism service providers, and some of them influence the content of reviews on review sites. At the same time, procedures for the prevention of false and misleading reviews, as well as their detection, are being intensively developed. This is documented in relevant sources, which were identified especially on the Web of Science, Scopus, Sciencedirect, Researchgate and the websites of MDPI, Emerald and Taylor & Francis Online. The aim of this study is to reveal how the verification of reviews can be improved with the intention to increase confidence in the review sites. In the form of case studies of TripAdvisor and Booking.com, the current rise of trust in reviews on these review sites was analysed and documented. The outputs of research include a SWOT analysis, processual analysis and an analysis of verification process, conditions, factors affecting trust in reviews on review sites. On these bases, a conceptual model for providing verified reviews of tourism services or verified destination assessment and two process models for providing verified reviews of tourism services and for providing verified destination assessment have been drawn up.