A Strange Trend Messing With Travel Reviews Is Worth Knowing About Before Your Next Vacation

Planning a trip today is a breeze compared to the travel dark ages of a few decades back. Once upon a time, you were either at the mercy of a travel agent or glued to guidebooks, relying on tips from experts like Rick Steves to help you craft even a halfway decent itinerary. But now? The internet has made it so easy that you might as well add "self-appointed travel agent" to your resume. Want to enjoy picturesque Western views at one of Arizona's most iconic canyons or perhaps experience Europe's most harrowing train ride? It's all there for the taking, thanks to a flood of resources: vlogs, blogs, forums, official websites — you name it. It's easier than ever to plan the perfect getaway, whether you're doing it solo or with your pals. But before you go trusting every review that pops up your way, a little word of caution: Not all that glitters online is gold. Sure, most are written by fellow travelers sharing their real experiences, but the rise of review "love bombing" has added a sneaky twist.

@loveandlondon

This is why you can't trust AI or Reddit for your London trip recommendations! 🫢 Londoners are using AI to trick tourists into dining at the worst tourist traps instead of their favorite spots. Watch the video to find out how! Don't risk falling for a tourist trap on your London trip. Follow us for recommendations straight from the locals 😉 Plus, head to the link in our bio for lots of tips to help you have the best London trip ❤️ #londontrip #londontravel #london

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Originally a term for over-the-top flattery used manipulatively, in the travel world, "love bombing" has become a trend where certain places are hyped beyond belief in reviews. As it turns out, this tactic is designed by locals to keep the truly great places they love under the radar, safe from swarms of tourists who would likely post it on TikTok without batting an eye. And so, as you're scrolling through those five-star raves, keep a healthy dose of skepticism. Not every so-called hidden gem may be worth the fuss.

Anyone who loves diving into the gritty details of travel research knows that Reddit is where the real gems hide — the kind no glossy blog or popular travel influencer will tell you about. Reddit is your go-to for those true hole-in-the-wall finds, and more often than not, it delivers. But it's also become the breeding ground for the "love bombing" trend with the intention to mislead unsuspecting tourists. As reported by The Independent, some London locals have taken to hyping up the Angus Steakhouse chain on the r/London sub-Reddit, claiming it serves the city's best steak with the hopes of framing their seemingly authentic reviews as "top search results" and fooling everyone else.

The comments are pure satire, with fake reviews like, "really frustrating that the tourists have found out about AS, urgh. Fingers crossed I can still get a table next Saturday." Another reads, "As a local I've been going to the Angus Steakhouse on leicester square for years. It's a hidden gem that only locals know about, far away from the usual tourist traps." Not everyone's on board, though. Some users pointed out that this tactic might actually harm small businesses. "Isn't this hurting the independent business owners who actually might not hate having tourists eat at their restaurants?" they wrote. "Angus makes enough money as it is but this trick is definitely not great for the sales of the restaurants you're trying to gatekeep as real Londoners."

As of this writing, it seems this trend hasn't hit other restaurants or businesses, but it's a reminder to stay sharp when sifting through online reviews. Even on Reddit, a platform most people trust, you never know when you're being "love bombed" into a tourist trap.

Trends like these should have you sharpening your radar when researching travel plans — on Reddit or any other platform. Online reviews are a huge part of planning these days — we're wired to assume they're real, written by actual people with genuine experiences. But, as we've learned over the years, reviews can be easily manipulated. In fact, in 2023, Phocuswire reported that TripAdvisor blocked a whopping two million fake reviews from its site, a reminder that we should approach reviews with a healthy dose of skepticism.

To stay savvy, start by avoiding reviews from profiles without photos, those that sound overly generic or robotic, or reviews that appear suspiciously close together — common signs of commissioned feedback. "If several similar reviews are posted with largely similar texts and in proximal time intervals, alarm bells should go off," Alton Chua, an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, shared with The Wall Street Journal.

On Reddit, vetting goes deeper — check the user's history for credibility. And always pay attention to specifics. "If the review says, 'It's so pretty,' and the wording seems staccato, I don't buy it," travel adviser Meg Nolan told the outlet. "On the other hand, if someone writes six sentences about how the check-in staff gave them a spare room to change in so they could use the pool while they waited for their room to be ready, that level of details leads me to assume it's written by a real guest." And, of course, always trust your gut. As always, if it sounds too good to be true, chances are, it probably is.