TripAdvisor has compiled a study of guest engagement and found several key factors that drive hotel guest engagement on the review site.
Among the key findings, management responses to TripAdvisor reviews can drive bookings on the site by more than 20% 
. Specifically, hotels that responded to guest reviews were 21% more likely to receive a booking via TripAdvisor than hotels that did not respond to reviews. And properties that respond to over 50 percent of their reviews further increase their likelihood of receiving a booking inquiry by 24 percent over those that did not respond.
In addition to creating guest engagement, management responses to reviews seems to have a “halo” effect of higher review ratings. Hotels that regularly responded to reviews from guests have consistently higher reviews as well. From the study:
0% response rate = 3.81 average review rating
5%-40% response rate = 4.04 average review rating
40% – 65% = 4.05 average review rating
65%+ response rate = 4.15 average review rating.
Additionally, hotels with photo displayed on the TripAdvisor site saw a 138 percent increase in guest engagement vs. properties without photos. And for those hotels with more than 1000 photos, the guest engagement factor is a 203 percent increase over those with no photos.
As past studies have shown, the impact of guest reviews on both hotel ADR and RevPAR are significant, so any increase in reviews represents a very meaningful impact for hoteliers and management companies.
In a release, TripAdvisor for Business President Marc Charron tied guest engagement directly to management/owner engagement on the website. “Looking at the results of this study, a clear theme emerges: the more engaged the business owner, the more interested the traveler,” said Marc Charron, President, TripAdvisor for Business. “It’s no secret that traveler want to see pictures and read reviews of a property before making their booking decision. What’s really key is the upward trend in average review ratings, traveler engagement levels and booking inquiries on the site, the more frequently a hotel owner responds to reviews. Taking part in the conversation and demonstrating that the owner cares about feedback has a very real and measurable effect on converting a traveler from a casual browser into a potential guest.”