Responding to what one travel expert categorized as “a wake-up call,” TripAdvisor has begun placing symbols next to hotels and resorts that have been identified as locations of sexual assault and other major concerns. A subsequent guest at the same resort told The Journal Sentinel that she tried to write about a sexual assault that occurred there in 2015, but eventually gave up because TripAdvisor said parts of her review relied on information that wasn’t firsthand. “They’re not saying anything defamatory, they’re saying buyer beware.” Reviews that allege sexual assault also pose legal challenges to TripAdvisor, said Zvulony. Complaints of sexual assault on travellers are not new, and there are many posts on TripAdvisor written by travellers who say they were raped in various countries. For instance, under “Country Information” for Mexico, the State Department cautions that, “Rape and sexual assault are serious problems in resort and other areas.

Source: thestar November 09, 2017 17:26 UTC