When TripAdvisor first burst on the scene it seemed like the answer – a reference tool that would help travellers find the gold in a big pile of dirt. Yet it hasn’t worked out that way, with reviews often raising more questions than answers, writes Martin Kelly, Editor, Travel Trends.

Get the truth, then go… So says TripAdvisor, without question the fastest-growing and most influential travel community on the planet. In the past year the number of TripAdvisor members – people who post reviews about their holiday experience – has grown from five million to nine million.

The number of reviews they have posted – which are not qualified, by the way – now exceeds 20 million. But can the rants and raves of this community be regarded as the truth?Of course not! The reviews are opinion, in many cases from people you normally wouldn’t give the time of day.

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