Tripadvisor Searches Can Now Be Filtered by Health and Safety Criteria

As travelers are gradually starting to plan future trips, Tripadvisor has launched a new feature that will filter hotels, restaurants, and businesses by their health and safety standards.

"If we want to get the world traveling again, the safety needs of consumers must be appreciated and recognized as the biggest hurdle to closing the confidence gap created by this pandemic," Tripadvisor's chief experience and brand officer, Lindsay Nelson, said in a press release Wednesday. "With the launch of 'Travel Safe,' we're allowing owners to showcase how they're putting health and safety at the forefront to protect their staff and future customers."

The new Travel Safe feature will allow travelers to search for businesses that list their COVID-19 response policies and protocols, like social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines. The feature will also allow business owners to advertise their health and safety standards.

When travelers search for a hotel in their desired destination, they will see a new "COVID-19" option pop up as a filter. When they select "properties taking safety measures," the list of results will be sorted by businesses that have opted into the Travel Safe program. When travelers select these properties, they will see a list of precautions that they are taking, alongside reviews from other travelers, confirming or denying the procedures.

The Travel Safe tools are available in all markets where Tripadvisor operates. More than 13,850 properties have already activated the feature.

Businesses will be able to check off a list of which precautions they are taking to combat the spread of COVID-19 and submit a text description if they're taking a personalized approach.

Travelers will also be able to search for hotels with flexible booking policies and free cancellations. If they still have questions, travelers will be able to message business owners in a Q&A feature.

Members are still encouraged to leave their reviews of the locations they visit.