Commission Welcomes Code Of Conduct For Reliable Online Reviews For Tourism Accommodation

Several stakeholders of the EU tourism ecosystem took an important step to ensure trustworthy and reliable online reviews and ratings of hotels and other types of tourism accommodation, by endorsing the “Code of Conduct for Online Ratings and Reviews for Tourism Accommodation”.

The new Code of Conduct aims to achieve greater transparency and reliability of online reviews for consumers and businesses in the tourism and accommodation sector. It will enable closer cooperation in improving practices to ensure the authenticity of reviews, distinguishing reviews from guests who experienced the accommodation and those who did not, and help tourists make a better-informed choice when booking their holidays.

Initiated by the EU, the Code of Conduct has been co-created by stakeholders from the tourism ecosystem, particularly accommodation providers and online platforms.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism said: “Reliable online reviews are essential for trust in tourism. With this new Code of Conduct, we are raising the bar across Europe, ensuring that only genuine guests can leave reviews. This means clearer, fairer, more trustworthy, more transparent, and more reliable information for everyone. It is a win for travellers, a win for tourism accommodation providers, and a step forward for a more resilient tourism sector.”

Background

The Code of Conduct is open to operators of tourism accommodation, associations, online platforms, consumer associations and other active stakeholders. By signing the Code, you commit to taking action to ensure genuine online reviews and ratings.

This present Code is not a code of conduct pursuant to Article 45 of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act).