WKO Tourism calls for measures against fake reviews

Fake reviews of tourism businesses are becoming an increasingly bigger problem in Austria. On the occasion of the current discussion about fake reviews, the Federal Tourism and Leisure Industry Division of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ) conducted a survey among catering and hotel businesses.

“Assessment tools are increasingly being misused to spread often intentionally untrue claims. “Bots and artificial intelligence are making the situation even worse,” says Robert Seeber, chairman of the federal tourism and leisure sector in the WKÖ.

The results of the online survey with around 3.300 responses from companies can be summarized as follows:

• 86% are of the opinion that there are currently no functioning mechanisms or contacts on platforms to have illegal changes removed quickly and effectively.
• Around 78% find that their business has already been intentionally rated untrue and incorrectly on online platforms in order to damage their business.
• Almost 95% are in favor of being able to remove reviews after a certain period of time - for example three years.
• Almost 96% are in favor of giving authorities the opportunity to easily determine the identity of illegal statements (e.g. intentionally untrue, credit-damaging allegations).
• Tourism chairman Seeber explains: “The result shows that there is an urgent need for action here. The Internet must not be a legal vacuum in which false and purchased reviews are given or competitors are discredited. It is often not possible for customers to distinguish between a real and a fake review. If in doubt, they will not visit the company!”