WAGGA businesses are feeling the pressure of “make or break” travel websites, which are dictating the survival of restaurants and hotels.
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Platforms like TripAdvisor, Trivago and Expedia have empowered consumers with the ability to publicly vent frustrations and commend good service.
The travel reviewing sites have been described as “a destiny decider” for local businesses and services.
More than 91 per cent of travellers use some form of online media to sway their visits, according to Riverina Regional Tourism data.
Wagga’s RSL Motel has banked on a spike in occupancy after receiving a TripAdvisor certificate of excellence this week.
Manager Brendan Richardson said travel review sites and apps have changed the game by giving tourists the final say in business success.
“The industry has changed recently; online reviews from any site, places like TripAdvisor, it’s the single most important tool to a motel or a service right now,” he said.
"I think the people who are looking to stay, they look for other genuine people's experiences and it’s a make or break of whether they stay there or not.
"These websites and apps, you can write whatever you want – it gives people massive power."
TripAdvisor alone currently has more than 300 million reviews and opinions covering more than 5.5 million properties and experiences.
But tourism operators have also taken aim at the app for the potential of false reviews dragging down ratings, and “one off” users who only sign up to scathe businesses.
Riverina Tourism secretary and operator of the Junee Chocolate Factory Neil Druce said it is only part and parcel that some users unjustifiably criticise businesses.
"You're always going to get some reviews that say you're terrible but it’s up to businesses to manage them and resolve it,” Mr Druce said.
“If a business isn’t on one of these sites, they’re joking, people want to see what their peers have to say.”
He added that the Riverina has leaps and bounds of improvement to make to better use TripAdvisor.
“Our region definitely needs to use it more. For accommodation and tourism, we are under-performing big-time,” he said.
"I've checked different places and the top attractions don’t have a lot of reviews, which is an issue.”