It is not a secret that many travellers prefer to read online hotel reviews prior to making a booking. Of course, the majority of people say they’d like to hear feedback from their friends or relatives first, but if it is not possible to get this information from someone they know, modern travellers prefer to read opinions of other travellers. This is the reason why some websites dedicated to hotel online reviews have become so popular. However, the latest study shows that the number of online hotel reviews is decreasing.
The study conducted by TrustYou and Donna Quadri-Felitti (Preston Robert Tish Center in New York University) clearly shows that in 2013 there is a decent decrease in the number of online hotel reviews. Comparing to the previous year, travellers have written 9% fewer reviews.
The researchers analysed over 250,000 hotel reviews from more than 250 sources. In general, customers are less interested in writing online reviews because they underestimate their importance. The study also shows that travellers have become a bit kinder the growth of scores estimated 2%. On the other hand, the number of perfect scores has decreased drastically, featuring a double digit decrease.