May 4, 2015: Well just about everyone who travels, or who wants to travel or sell a travel product does. TripAdvisor owns 46 separate travel review and retail travel sellers (with posts in 28 different languages)—the most well known and popular is their travel review site where travelers—they say—post their reviews on every thing from lodging to restaurants to—well in Italy even gondola rides in Venice. Over 200 million reviews currently appear on TripAdvisor—with more than 4 million Monthly Google followers.
In Italy The Travel Curmudgeon has become more than suspect on seeing a TripAdvisor-approved decal on a store front, restaurant, hotel, cab and even a water ferry—well we know even on a good day their service stinks! Every retail establishment in the country features a TripAdvisor logo somewhere on the premises—sometimes several—some with a year designation and many without. So beware if you see them! Better to ask a local for an opinion on a particular activity. Ask hotel staff or even restaurant service staff where they spend their money or Euros, or wherever to dine or visit.
Use TripAdvisor for research and planning but be your own “trip advisor” when you commit dollars!!! REMEMBER TripAdvisor is also in the business of selling travel, so does that influence their posts, rankings and recommendations?
