Travelers seek more interactive Web sites
Travelers seek more interactive Web sites

Executives at two of the country's oldest and respected travel guide operators say they're slowly adapting to interactive online reviews even as they observe that consumers are turning back to the experts for finding the best hotels, restaurants and vacation spots.

AAA and Mobil Travel Guide representatives were on hand Tuesday to answers hoteliers' questions as the annual summer summit of the American Hotel and Lodging Associations continues at Oklahoma City's Skirvin Hilton.

Bill Wood, executive editor of AAA Publishing, told hotel executives about 80 percent of frequent travelers check out reviews by fellow travelers.

"It started changing in the mid- to late-90s,” Wood said. "Consumers aren't just receiving information; they are exchanging it as well. They want to interact.”

In the early days, such reviews were seen as being "pure,” Wood said. But he added consumers are getting wise to bad reviews placed by hotel or restaurant competitors, or overly favorable reviews solicited in exchange for fees by Web sites that are run more for marketing than for honest critiques.

"I think the pendulum might be swinging back to the experts,” Wood said. "Some of these sites are scurrilous or not believable.”

Darren Jones, director of inspection and ratings for the Mobil Travel Guide agreed, though both added their publications still must make their reviews more interactive and responsive to consumers' desires to exchange information.

New Orleans hotelier Ronald Pincus asked how the travel guides might best ensure that hotels are penalized by outdated comments or unfair reviews.

"Do you have a way to determine if a comment is not valid, or if it's emotional?” Pincus asked.

"Consumers can be very emotional,” Wood agreed. "They can have a wonderful stay all week, have one thing go wrong, and that's what influences them.”

Wood said reviews are ranked by usefulness and the least useful reviews fall to the bottom of the list. AAA asks consumers to share details about themselves, including whether they are married or have kids. They also are asked to provide a narrative with their rankings.

"If they put nothing in about themselves at all, rate everything at a 10, have no narrative — that looks suspicious to me,” Wood said.

Change is also coming to the Mobil Travel Guide's online presence. Jones said the Mobil Travel Guide, which is now a privately owned publication after separating from www.howstuffworks.com, is being revamped for the modern age.

"We're re-launching in January with a site that will be more interactive, have more photos, videos and consumer reviews,” Jones said. "We're going to grow even bigger than we are now.”

He said Mobil Travel Guide is also hiring more inspectors and opening offices in Singapore, Hong Kong and London. "With the Web expanding, we are developing a core group of travel writers throughout the world who will be updating content on a daily basis,” Jones said.

As both AAA and Mobil expand their interactive online reviews, they are taking different approaches to their traditional publications.

Michael Petrone, director of tourism information development at AAA, said AAA is publishing less materials while allowing members to create their own tailored travel guides online.

Jones said Mobil is about to steer away from its "phonebook look” and is expanding publications with niche products aimed at major cities, themed travel such as golf courses, and traveling with pets.

Wood advised hoteliers that even the traditional travel guides adapt to consumers' demands, he doubts the third-party interactive travel review sites are about to go away.

"This is just going to happen,” Wood said. "It's incredibly important to consumers.”

Leave a Comment

Business Photo Galleriesview all