In tourism, trust is everything. Before booking a kayak tour, zipline adventure, or food tour, potential visitors need confidence that they’re making the right choice. That’s where reviews step in, acting as both reassurance and recommendation.
Platforms like Google Reviews and TripAdvisor are more than feedback tools; they’re powerful sales drivers. And when used strategically, they can guide guests from discovery to decision.
Here’s a practical guide to making your reviews work harder for you and how Wherewolf simplifies the process of gathering guest feedback automatically.
Awareness Stage: Make a Strong First Impression
At this stage, visitors are researching and comparing options. They’re typing “best tours near me” into Google, browsing TripAdvisor, and scrolling through social media. You want them to notice your business and trust it immediately.
Google Reviews
- Complete and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Accurate contact details, great photos, and a high review score build instant credibility. A profile with dozens of authentic reviews builds trust and stands out. - Use Schema Markup on Your Website
Adding structured data (called Schema markup) helps your Google star rating show up in search results, which can lead to more clicks.
TripAdvisor
- Maintain a Strong and Active Presence
Make sure your description, photos, and amenities are up-to-date. Responding to reviews shows you're active and customer-focused. - Highlight Awards and Rankings
“Traveler’s Choice” or “Top 10 Things to Do in [City]” badges are big trust builders. Highlight them to build trust and credibility
Consideration Stage: Nudge the Decision
Once potential guests are interested, they’ll start comparing experiences. That’s when real feedback stands out.
- Dedicated Reviews Section on Your Website
Pull in reviews from Google and TripAdvisor or use quotes manually. Showcase standout comments that reflect key guest concerns (e.g., safety, fun, staff friendliness). - Reviews Next to Booking CTAs
Add short, relevant reviews near “Book Now” buttons to give extra confidence right before conversion. - Use Review Filters
Highlight reviews from families, couples, solo travelers, etc., so visitors can see people like them enjoying the experience.
Conversion Stage: Seal the Deal with Trust
At this point, every bit of reassurance helps push a guest to click “confirm.”
- Use Trust Badges
Phrases like “Rated 4.9 on Google by 500+ guests” or “Top-rated on TripAdvisor” should be featured in your booking flow. - Embed Reviews in Booking Confirmation or Retargeting Emails
Include a glowing review in follow-up emails for abandoned carts or re-marketing campaigns. - Automated Reminders to Review
This is where Wherewolf helps tourism operators go from hoping for reviews to consistently collecting them.
Turn Waiver Data into Reviews with Wherewolf
With Wherewolf, tourism operators can automatically follow up with every guest, not just the lead booker, via email or SMS after their experience, using the data already collected from their digital waivers.
- No extra data entry
- No awkward manual asks
- Just streamlined and timely review requests, sent while the experience is still fresh in their mind
Whether you’re focusing on Google, TripAdvisor, or both, Wherewolf makes it easy for happy guests to leave great reviews, helping you build trust and drive more bookings.
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Reviews are a Marketing Asset
Today’s guests trust reviews more than advertising. By making Google and TripAdvisor reviews part of your marketing funnel and using tools like Wherewolf to fuel the flow, you turn customer feedback into a powerful growth engine.
Need help activating reviews in your own funnel?
Talk to us and discover how easy it is to generate more reviews automatically.