The Age of Reviews – How Are Guest Reviews Transforming the Travel Experience Market?

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 07. 11:46

When someone plans a trip today, they don’t open a map, they open reviews. In the tourism sector, especially in experience-based services, guest reviews play the role that word of mouth once played: they show direction, confirm, or discourage. According to GetYourGuide’s latest report for spring 2025, the importance of online reviews has not only increased in recent years, but has become decisive. According to the platform’s data, the review rate in the travel experience category has increased by more than 420% since 2019, which is well above the industry average.

As a result of digitalization, the entire customer journey has moved online: guests no longer just book online, but also look for inspiration, compare, and research. This is where reviews come into play. While a five-star rating is important, research shows that customers pay almost as much attention to the number of reviews and their freshness. The change in consumer psychology is clearly demonstrated by the fact that three reviews already bring three times the conversion, and after fifteen reviews the chance of booking is ten times higher than if a product had no feedback at all.

One of the most interesting conclusions of the research is the behavior of the “super-spender” group, the so-called Explorers. They are responsible for 60% of leisure travel spending, and they are characterized by organizing their own travel, like to research, plan, and base their decisions on authentic, personal experiences. “Explorers do not live in the world of brochures, but look for their own route among the experiences of other travelers. If they don’t find it here, they will find it elsewhere,” says Mihály Tóth, marketing communications expert and founder of MyReview.hu, according to whom data-driven content, real photos, and detailed, up-to-date descriptions form the basis for their appeal.

The report also highlights that the main source of pleasure in experience-based tourism is not the type of program, but the tour guide or local staff: 98% of positive reviews mention them as key players. Interestingly, however, most complaints stem from logistical problems: delays, ambiguous meeting points or inadequate communication of the program length spoil the experience the most. “The problem is not that you have to queue, but that the guest does not know about it in advance. Transparent information does not reduce the experience, but increases trust,” adds Mihály Tóth, drawing on his practical experience as the former acting marketing manager of Mahart-PassNave.