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Travellers warned to stick to ‘trusted’ websites
Travellers have been warned to be wary of internet sites which claim to provide independent advice and reviews on destinations.
With more than 50% of respondents to a Lonely Planet survey of 30,000 travellers frequently booking accommodation online, the travel information company says people should consult a variety of sources before making a decision.
The company’s latest “Travellers Pulse” poll shows that travellers increasingly desire independent reviews and recommendations from trusted sources.
Lonely Planet has responded with the launch of a new website (http://haystack.lonelyplanet.com) featuring hand-picked properties that have been reviewed and recommended by expert authors – ranging from backpacker hostels to top-end accommodation.
Lonely Planet Haystack features more than 1,000 properties from UK, New Zealand, South Africa, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, Fiji, Micronesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Israel, Egypt, Peru, Argentina, and Columbia, and will continue to grow throughout 2007 and beyond.
Many of these properties were not previously bookable online
Reviews and descriptions on Haystack are independent, written by experienced Lonely Planet travel writers and cannot be edited by the property, according to the company.
Users can also read user-generated reviews from other travellers.
Lonely Planet’s Tom Hall said: “We are already finding that the properties that are receiving the most bookings are those that receive very positive reviews from both the Lonely Planet author, and wider travel community.
“Haystack enables travellers to book great places to stay and provides peace of mind in the accuracy and independence of property reviews.”
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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