Anyone talking about review management in tourism usually thinks of hotel reviews first. Yet reviews of hiking trails, museums, mountain railways or excursion destinations shape the image of an entire region at least as strongly. Current analyses show: reviews of activities have become an independent, growing trust factor in their own right — with a direct effect on the visibility of hotels and destinations.
The problem in everyday hotel business
Many hotels focus their review management exclusively on their own reviews on Google and Booking.com. What happens in the region around the property receives little attention: how does the local leisure park, the water park or the mountain railway fare in reviews? Yet guests researching before booking look not only at the hotel but at the entire on-site experience. If an important attraction in the region performs poorly or seems outdated, this reflects on the perception of the whole place — regardless of how well the individual hotel is rated.
Current findings from studies / occasion
Current analyses from Tripadvisor as well as academic research on online reviews in tourism show several clear developments:
- Reviews shape the image of a destination, not just a single business. Academic studies on online travel reviews confirm: reviews build trust in the destination as a whole and reduce the perceived uncertainty in travel decisions — far beyond the individual reviewed offering.
- Activities and experiences are gaining weight as a review category. Tripadvisor now gives out its own annual awards specifically for the best activities and experiences worldwide, based on millions of reviews — an indication of how central this area has become for the platform and for travel decisions.
- Recency of reviews is becoming more important than the sheer star rating. Recent reviews now carry more weight for travellers than older ones, because they are seen as a more reliable signal of an offering's current condition.
- Responding to reviews additionally strengthens trust and visibility. When operators of attractions and leisure offerings actively respond to reviews, this demonstrably improves both readers' trust and visibility in platform rankings.
- Travellers are cutting back specifically on excursions and activities in 2026. Studies on travel behaviour show that a noticeable share of travellers are reducing their budget for activities and excursions — making a reliable review situation, which provides confidence in the selection, all the more important.
What does this mean for your hotel?
1. Keep an eye on the review situation in the region
Regularly check how the main attractions and leisure offerings in your area are rated. If negative or outdated reviews accumulate for a central excursion destination, this will affect the appeal of your own location in the long run as well.
2. Actively discuss reviews with local partners
Talk to the mountain railway, museum or water park if you notice a weak or outdated review situation. An open conversation between partners is often the simplest way to jointly work on the region's external image.
3. Base your own recommendations on current impressions
On your website and in guest communication, only refer to activities that you yourself have experienced recently and positively. An outdated list of excursions can weaken trust in your recommendations just as much as a poor review of your own.
Concrete practical example
Fictitious example, realistically modelled.
A holiday hotel in a holiday destination in the canton of Graubünden noticed that guest inquiries about the nearby high ropes course were becoming more frequent — at the same time, the high ropes course's public reviews had shown no new entries for over a year and occasional criticism of outdated equipment. The hotel sought a conversation with the operator, shared its observations and offered to actively ask guests for a review after their visit in future. The operator additionally responded actively to older, negative comments for the first time and updated the photos. Within a few months, the number of recent, positive reviews rose noticeably, and the hotel was able to recommend the high ropes course again with a clear conscience and up-to-date impressions.
Common mistakes
- Review management stops at the front desk. Many hotels take great care of their own reviews but completely ignore how the surrounding region is perceived.
- Passing on outdated excursion recommendations. Anyone recommending activities to guests without knowing the current review situation risks disappointed guests and, indirectly, a loss of trust for their own property.
- Not addressing criticism of local partners. Out of misplaced consideration, a weak review situation at partner businesses is often left unaddressed — even though everyone involved benefits from open, constructive feedback.
Conclusion
A hotel's visibility and reputation depend not only on its own review situation but also on how the region as a whole is perceived. Keeping an eye on reviews of activities and excursion destinations in the area and seeking dialogue with local partners strengthens not only your own offering but the appeal of the entire location. The first step is simple: regularly check the current review situation of the region's main attractions and seek dialogue wherever a need for action becomes apparent.
Sources
- Tripadvisor: 2026 Travelers' Choice Awards – Best of the Best Things To Do, tripadvisor.mediaroom.com
- Bo, L.: How Online Reviews, Word-of-Mouth, Brand Image, and Tourism Experience Influence Tourist Satisfaction, SAGE Open, journals.sagepub.com
- TravelBoom: 2026 Leisure Travel Study – Value, Trust, and Experience Over Everything, hotelnewsresource.com
- WiserReview: 48 Tripadvisor Statistics (2026 Data), wiserreview.com
