Mediterranean Observer
The European Commission has endorsed a new Code of Conduct for Online Ratings and Reviews for Tourism Accommodation, aimed at improving the credibility and transparency of guest feedback across the European Union.
Unveiled on 1 September 2025, the initiative encourages accommodation providers, review platforms, and consumer organisations to adopt practices that ensure online reviews are genuine and verifiable. The Code is intended to help travellers make more informed choices while strengthening trust in the tourism sector, which relies heavily on customer confidence.
Developed in collaboration with industry actors, the Code promotes consistent standards for review collection and verification. Participants are expected to take steps to confirm that reviews come from actual guests, making ratings more reliable for both consumers and businesses.
The measure is voluntary and open to hotels, short-term rental operators, digital platforms, associations, and other stakeholders. It does not fall under the scope of Article 45 of the EU’s Digital Services Act, which covers broader transparency obligations for online platforms.
The European approach differs from that of Italy, which earlier this year proposed a more restrictive law to tackle fake reviews in the hospitality and restaurant industries. Under the Italian draft legislation, reviewers would be required to provide proof of identity and evidence of their visit before posting feedback. Reviews would have to be submitted within a limited timeframe, would expire after a certain period, and any paid or sponsored reviews would be prohibited. Oversight would be managed by the country’s antitrust regulator.
Together, these moves highlight growing European efforts to reduce the impact of fabricated or misleading reviews. While the EU has opted for a cooperative and voluntary framework, individual member states such as Italy are pursuing stricter legislative measures, reflecting different strategies to safeguard consumer trust and promote fairness in the tourism market.
