New Italian standards intend to stop both wrong and harmful reviews, which demands the proof of the visit and the prohibition of incentives on positive comments.
Alessandro Gilmozzi is a chef and famous president of the TASTE BOTHIATORI DE Association (Ambassadors of Taste), which enhances Cooking excellence in Italy. It is also one of the main defenders of the battle against False criticism of hotels and restaurants in ItalyWhich enhance the most striking regulations for both consumers and companies.
“Once someone wrote that he had eaten Panna Cotta in my restaurant,” said Malik El Molin, with two Michelin stars, the newspaper “La Repubblica”, said, “But I never did this dessert“Gillwosi discovered that the critic was not in his restaurant and that he was simply wrong.” “It can also be damaged, even by mistake.”
Italy addresses a problem Wrong and malicious reviews With new criteria that require proving the visit and prohibiting incentives for positive comments. “Today we take an important step to protect our companies,” Daniela Santhahi, Minister Italian tourismBy submitting the legislation.
“Reviews thanks to this organizational intervention They will be really honestIt is essential for the success of companies, consumer confidence and tourists. “However, how much is this problem in Italy and what is already done to combat the wrong reviews?
Fighting wrong opinions is crucial to customer protection
False contents or processing It affects between 6 % and 30 % of corporate income From the hospitality and tourism sector, according to the Italian Ministry of Companies. Many hotels He was contacted by “Euronews Travel” who have their personal experience when receiving this type.
“Like many institutions in the sector, we also fulfilled reviews It does not reflect a real experience “Or is clearly affected by external factors, such as unfair competition or expectations that are not in line with the service provided,” says Simona Lollini, the financial manager of Palazzo Di Varignana, a hotel located in the hills outside Bologna.
“Sincere and real reviews It is necessary not only to ensure neutralityBut also for our potential guests to understand our real situation and the value of the experience we offer. Forty Village, On Sardinia IslandHe says he has also received unfair and misleading reviews.
Unfortunately, there are more and more cases that are produced after that Be the wrong information from the guests They seek to obtain benefits from hotels as a result, or people who have not put in property, “says the complex.” Control of wrong reviews is necessary to protect consumers and provide companies with effective tools against unfair competition. “
What are the new Italian standards on reviews?
In January, the Italian government proposed a bill Suppressing deceptive or harmful criticism on HotelsRestaurants and tourist attractions in the country. The wrong reviews are already illegal in Italy, but the country enhances its regulations to try to prevent them from leaving them first.
The legislation, which is still a parliament, will require to ask anyone who wants to write a review Show your visit, for example with a receiptAnd providing a verified identity document. Criticism must be written in 15 days of the visit and must be detailed, transparent and related to the experience.
The draft law prohibits practice Paid or encouraging reviewsHow to give gifts to customers in exchange for positive assessments, and sell content. It also allows the right to respond to comments, institutions may request their abolition if they are considered False or deceptive.
Companies will be able to request this Opinions of more than two years are withdrawn, In addition to those that are no longer relevant (for example, comment on A hotel that does not have an elevator And now he has). It is not yet clear how you will take the rules of new reviews such as Booking.com and Tripadvisor into consideration, such as the requirements for checking the visit.
“We have long operated a review system in it Only customers who reserved through our platform can leave a reviewAllowing the owners of accommodation to respond to the comments left by customers. Booking.com said, “We are the way to develop this law and how it applies to us,” Booking.com said.
“There is some neglect when leaving negative reviews.”
Apparently, fines for violating new standards It will range between 5000 and 10 million euros. It reflects high quantities Fake hotel companiesWhoever claims to be, so far, deceptive comments were not long. “There may be a imbalance between customers’ right or customer power to leave negative reviews and right or the company’s strength to defend themselves, “says Mauro Brasioli, Director of Communications and AG Hotel Distribution.
“In general, it seems that there is a certain interest when leaving negative reviews, perhaps because of There is no danger; If it is analyzed more carefully, even when it appears that the review is wrong, the customer is not supported (except for the complex and long legal procedures for stopping and withdrawing) but the damage to our image, even if it is temporary. ”
propagandaNot yet clear Who will decide whether the review is wrong or notBut the responsibility to verify the content and issue fines will eventually fall on the guarantor salad of the Italian competition (Della Concorrenza E Del MerCato).
False opinions that are interested in their owners
TripadvisorThe web site for booking and views of travel, just published the annual transparency report, which shows that combating wrong opinions is a Generalized anxietyNot only in the Italian tourism sector. “Tripadvisor continues to fight fraudulent activities, including the wrong reviews of manipulation Qualifications Y Classifications Of the works, “the company writes in its report.
“Through a combination of Advanced technology, human analysis and community participationTripadvisor succeeded in protecting travelers from 2.7 million frauds in 2024. About 9,000 warning companies received to participate in incentive reviews, as companies bribed customers “or” reward “for employees for positive reviews, adding the report.
360,000 reviews have been linked Incentive programs for employeesWhere companies offer rewards to their employees in exchange for positive opinions. “Given the development of opinion systems FraudulentThe company said that Tripadvisor has strengthened the forms of fraud and policies that punishes companies on our platform, in order to take one step on the harmful actors.
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