Reviews Are the New Word-of-Mouth: GetYourGuide Research Shows How Customer Reviews Are Shaping The Experience Industry

Reviews Are the New Word-of-Mouth: GetYourGuide Research Shows How Customer Reviews Are Shaping The Experience Industry

GetYourGuide’s latest report on travel trends emphasizes the importance of reviews to help experience creators grow their businesses.

BERLIN, GERMANY – APRIL 7, 2025: GetYourGuide, the global marketplace for discovering and booking unforgettable travel experiences, released new research highlighting how reviews and authentic online presence drive success in the experience sector. This first-of-its-kind analysis of customer satisfaction factors across experience categories provides tour guides and attractions with actionable insights to enhance their offerings and grow their businesses in the expanding experience economy.

91% of consumers aged 18-34 trust reviews as much as they trust “word-of-mouth” personal recommendations, reflecting a growing reliance on reviews for consumers to make booking decisions. This trend emerges as consumers are increasingly prioritizing spending on experiences over material goods and the overall shift towards booking experiences online versus on-site, according to Earnest Analytics.

‍GetYourGuide’s Head of B2B Brand & Insights, Anna Cashman, said, “Reviews are ‘word of mouth‘ marketing at scale, and they’re an important way for experience creators to break through the noisy digital landscape. As travelers move online for inspiration, research, and bookings, it’s absolutely critical for operators of guided experiences to have a robust digital presence. Plus, unlike material goods, there are no returns or do-overs on experiences. Creators have one chance to get it right, and reviews are key to show travelers what’s ahead.” 

GetYourGuide’s Spring 2025 Travel Experience Trend Tracker is powered by proprietary research from GetYourGuide alongside Chattermill data on 3.1 million verified GetYourGuide reviews with comments. Bringing clarity on how to tap into the travel experience market, the report calls out key trends like:

• Product reviews for experiences are increasing: With review numbers on GetYourGuide growing 420% compared to 155% across other industries since pre-COVID, the growth in reviews reflects travelers' heightened need for social proof and authenticity when purchasing experiences.

• Immersive experiences come out on top: Workshops, walking tours and adventure tours with descriptions were the highest-reviewed categories, both in terms of highest review rate with descriptions and highest positive sentiment on GetYourGuide in 2024, further demonstrating how human connection is valued.
  
  
• Customer preferences vary by market: Different nationalities have distinct expectations and pain points, with source markets showing varied tendencies to leave positive or negative reviews.
  
  
• Crowds are a consistent detractor: Crowds are identified as one of the top detractors for both leisure attractions and cultural landmarks, with "too crowded" appearing as a significant complaint in customer reviews and, overall, showing a preference for more close-up and local access. 

More information about GetYourGuide’s Travel Experience Trend Tracker, including the full report, can be downloaded here.

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Press Contact

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About GetYourGuide

GetYourGuide is a global online marketplace to discover and book experiences worth traveling for. Travelers can use GetYourGuide to find things to do in more than 12,000 cities, including tours from local experts, exclusive access to must-see attractions, as well as immersive bucket-list experiences through its Originals by GetYourGuide offering. Since its founding, GetYourGuide has sold more than 200 million tickets from 35,000 supply partners who leverage its easy-to-use platform to grow their businesses. For more information, follow GetYourGuide on LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, and visit getyourguide.com.

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