Several travel and tourism organisations have signed a new EU-backed Code of Conduct designed to improve the transparency and reliability of online ratings and reviews for holiday accommodation.
The signatories met in Brussels for the first stakeholder network meeting linked to the Code of Conduct for Online Ratings and Reviews for Tourism Accommodation, the European Commission announced on Wednesday.
The Code was co-created by stakeholders from across the tourism ecosystem and initiated by the EU.
It focuses on practices intended to safeguard the authenticity of reviews, including distinguishing between guests who have stayed at a property and people who have not.
Companies and groups that have signed include Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia Group, Tripadvisor Group and HolidayCheck, as well as eu travel tech, HOTREC, Develop Athens, the European Federation of Campingsite Organisations and Holiday Park Associations (EFCO & HPA), and the Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry (FIHR).
The initiative remains open to other tourism accommodation operators, associations, online platforms, consumer groups and other stakeholders.
What signatories said
The organisations committed to taking action to help ensure online reviews and ratings are genuine, the statement said.
“Trust is the currency of tourism,” European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said.
“By signing this Code of Conduct, we ensure that every review, every rating, reflects genuine experiences - benefiting travellers, businesses, and the European tourism ecosystem as a whole,” he added.
