Travel review websites are a potent force in the 60-billion-dollar online travel market. As a recent article in the New York Times noted, review sites and blogs have exploded because their popularity derives from the unbiased, real-life experiences of real customers.
However, there ought to be a mechanism in place to authenticate a review, whether positive or negative. The word-of-mouth principle works online as well – a negative review has more potential to impact business than an accolade! Whether good or bad, information is truly unbiased only when it comes from a validated source.