How TourTruth Works
TourTruth uses a sophisticated process to gather, analyze, and present tour information in a way that's transparent, unbiased, and helpful for travelers.
Our Rating System
Most tour booking platforms use a 5-star rating system that has become increasingly inflated over time. It's not uncommon to see tours with 4.7 or 4.8 stars out of 5, making it difficult to distinguish between good and exceptional experiences.
TourTruth uses a more nuanced 10-point scale that provides greater differentiation:
- 9.1-10.0: Exceptional experiences (top 5%)
- 8.1-9.0: Excellent tours with minor drawbacks
- 7.0-8.0: Good tours with some notable limitations
- Below 7.0: Tours with significant issues or better alternatives available
How We Aggregate Data
Our system collects review data from multiple sources, including major booking platforms, travel blogs, and social media. We analyze this data using natural language processing to identify common themes in positive and negative reviews.
This process allows us to:
- Normalize ratings across different platforms
- Identify and highlight consistent pros and cons
- Filter out suspicious or manipulated reviews
- Provide a more balanced perspective than any single source
Transparency in Action
For each tour, we provide:
- Normalized Rating: Our aggregate score on a 10-point scale
- Pros & Cons: The most frequently mentioned positives and negatives
- Basic Information: Duration, price range, and other essential details
- Book Now Link: Direct connection to the tour operator or booking platform
We do not operate tours ourselves or handle bookings directly. Our goal is to provide information that helps you make better decisions, then connect you with the appropriate booking platform.
No Pay-to-Play
Unlike many travel platforms, we do not allow tour operators to pay for better rankings or to hide negative reviews. Our ratings are based solely on aggregated data and our normalization algorithm.
While we may earn affiliate commissions when users book through our links (which helps support our platform), these partnerships never influence our ratings or rankings.
Continuous Improvement
Our system is constantly evolving. We regularly update our data, refine our algorithms, and add new features based on user feedback. Our goal is to provide the most accurate, helpful information possible to help you find exceptional travel experiences.