Bonds for a day

WASHINGTON -- An Ohio family of five recently went undercover in the nation's capital to help foil a cyber "terrorist attack." Their attire wasn't very suspicious: shorts, T-shirts and jackets tied around their waists.

They were playing a new game at the International Spy Museum that sends tourists trolling through the city with handheld GPS devices to search for clues and codes to stop the attack before it starts.

The game, called "Spy in the City," was developed by former intelligence officers who want to teach the public a bit about their craft.

Carol Metzger, Brock Sturgeon and their three kids -- Brooke, 11, Luke, 8, Alaina, 6 -- thought they were up to the task, squeezing it in with a recent beach vacation in Delaware and a trip to Capitol Hill.

The mission: find a hidden password to deactivate a terrorist device that could wipe out computers in the nation's capital. Players also must test clues from a source, code-named Catbird, to see if he can be trusted.

The first clue -- a photo of their first destination -- sends the quintet down the block to an old bank's night deposit box, then on to Ford's Theatre where (Abraham Lincoln was shot) and past the real FBI headquarters.

Game creators at the Spy Museum believe their game is a first of its kind, and they're planning more scenarios with varying levels of difficulty.

"The old days of a museum being just dusty artifacts in a display case that you walk by and admire, I think are long gone," said Peter Earnest, the museum's executive director who was in the CIA for 35 years.

Games, in fact, could play a big role in keeping museums relevant in the future, according to a recent American Association of Museums lecture by Jane McGonigal of the California-based Institute for the Future. She urged curators to recreate museums as places where visitors can interact, perhaps through games that solve real-world problems, and have fun at the same time.

The spy museum has been a popular draw for about 700,000 visitors a year since opening in 2002, despite its $18 US admission fee. It has also benefited from the buzz of spy-themed movies and video games over the years. Recently, Angelina Jolie was filming at some of the same D.C. sites as those in the museum's game for the upcoming spy movie, Salt.

That blend of pop culture, reality and a dose of education is key for how the museum hopes to nab visitors willing to pay $14 US to play.

"You actually get to feel what it's like to be a spy," said Anna Slafer, the museum's education director. "That's what our public has told us they want."

The plot is based on a combination of real spy stories, the creators say. One was the Kitty Hawk case, in which the FBI used a double agent to help identify Soviet intelligence officers.

It also draws on practices that date back to the days of George Washington, who used secret, invisible writing with some of his agents. The spy game includes similar secret messages the players must uncover.

"When you don't know who to trust, when you don't know the answers, when you're sort of dropped into a situation and you're not sure what to do, that's real espionage," Slafer said.

Slafer said the museum's game can spark curiosity among players about real challenges the intelligence community faces, namely the idea that terrorists would try to knock out computer systems.

"With this particular plot and in this city, the idea of cyber warfare is very real," she said. The game is not "just run, run, run, fun, fun, fun. It's really more reflective."

The players find clues at the National Archives and in small fountains and statues. The toughest task is decoding a message from the words of the First Amendment, engraved in stone at the Newseum, a journalism museum on Pennsylvania Avenue.

The Metzger and Sturgeon family, from Findlay, Ohio, completed the mission, despite a few wrong turns on city streets.

Brock Sturgeon, 38, said he liked it but felt like "a fish out of water" as they tried to find their way.

"Keeping track of where you're at is kind of hard," he said. "I don't think it's for little kids."

Brooke and Luke said the game was fun and that they might like to be spies someday. "I'm sneaky like that," Luke said, hiding behind a museum display. It didn't always hold the attention of younger sister, Alaina, though. By the end she had other thoughts: "I'm hungry."

The family didn't quite foil the terrorist plot on their own, after hitting the wrong button and failing to deactivate the cyber terrorism device. "Spy agents" who were directing the operation had to step in.

"Although your work today wasn't stellar," they were told by spy HQ, "we definitely think you have potential as a covert spy agent."

On the Net: International Spy Museum: spymuseum.org

Baseball teams fear ‘haunted’ hotelNissan Mobile Game : cube(R) Party Roundup

UNESCO updates world heritage list

MADRID - Italy's Dolomite mountains were among 13 new sites added to UNESCO's world heritage list.

Other new natural sites added to the list included the Wadden Sea wetlands, an area rich in wildlife in Germany and the Netherlands; and northern China's Mount Wutai, a sacred Buddhist site known for its five flat peaks and a landscape with 53 monasteries.

But in a rare move, UNESCO dropped Germany's Elbe River valley at Dresden from the heritage list because of a bridge under construction across the river, saying this spoils the landscape.

Dresden, whose historic centre has been painstakingly restored since it was ravaged by Allied bombs in 1945, is often referred to as the Florence of the Elbe because of the baroque architecture that gives it a distinctive skyline.

The UN agency's World Heritage Committee announced the additions to the list at a June meeting in Seville, Spain.

The new designations included the first UNESCO World Heritage sites in the countries of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Kyrgyzstan. The Cape Verde site was the city of Cidade Velha, the first European colonial outpost in the tropics, which UNESCO said bears testimony to the history of slavery. In Burkina Faso, the designated site was the ruins of Loropeni, a thousand-year-old fortress important in the trans-Saharan gold trade. In Kyrgyzstan, the site was Sulamain, a sacred mountain on the Silk Road with ancient petroglyphs and places of worship, including two 16th century mosques.

In Europe, other newly designated World Heritage sites were Stoclet House in Belgium, a 1911 building considered important in the history of the architectural styles of Art Nouveau, Art Deco and modernism; the Tower of Hercules, a lighthouse and landmark in Spain dating to the first century; La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, Swiss towns that were planned to accommodate the watchmaking industry; and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and canal in northeastern Wales, built without locks and considered an engineering and architectural feat of the Industrial Revolution.

Elsewhere in the world, UNESCO added to its World Heritage list the Shushtar hydraulic system in Iran, an engineering masterpiece that dates to the 5th century B.C.; the sacred city of Caral-Supe, a 5,000-year-old archaeological site in Peru; and the royal tombs of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea, built from 1408 to 1966.

There are now a total of 890 properties on UNESCO's World Heritage list.

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A real head trip

NEW YORK -- Americans are finally able to fully rediscover their Statue of Liberty, whose crown has been off-limits to the public for the past eight years. The reopening on July 4 -- U.S. Independence Day -- has proven to be symbolic, in a small way, and may help erase the memory of terrorism and heal some of the wounds of 2001.

The morning before the reopening, a small group of journalists wait in the port of Manhattan for a Coast Guard boat to take them for a preview visit. No one can hide their excitement, even if it means climbing 354 stairs in stifling heat. After all, no member of the public has been up in the Statue of Liberty's crown since Sept. 11, 2001.

We arrive on Liberty Island half an hour later. The whole island is deserted. It's total silence, an unbelievable luxury before hundreds of tourists come streaming off the boats the next day.

There's enough security to rival any airport. Visitors are searched before boarding the boat and after arriving on the island. They then enter a tent fit for a sci-fi movie, where a scanner or sorts blasts them with powerful jets of air to test for chemicals on the body. Meanwhile, bags are X-rayed. Why so many precautions?

"Because the statue is the ultimate symbol of the whole nation," a National Park Service ranger explains, making it a perfect target for terrorists.

Americans don't have the same relationship with the Statue of Liberty as Canadians do with their CN Tower or other monuments. Officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World -- and affectionately known as Miss Liberty -- the statue is more than a tourist attraction: It's a symbol of the very essence of their country, liberty, democracy and the end of oppression. It was a gift to the American people by France in 1886 to commemorate the centenary of American independence.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the symbol has been muted. The Bush administration barred access to the statue as the 123-year-old monument clearly wasn't up to modern security standards.

It was never meant to be an attraction of Disney-like proportions. You realize this once inside; it's cramped and claustrophobic, a hostile environment for overweight tourists.

The crown is accessible via a narrow, 12-storey spiral staircase with slippery metal steps. Not to mention the barely knee-high railing. Once you start going up there's no way back down unless everyone turns around with you.

Before 2001, it wasn't uncommon to see tourists have panic attacks here. Some would faint from the suffocating heat (it's 20 degrees hotter inside than out and very humid). If you move around too much up top, the structure starts to sway several dizzying inches.

"Don't be afraid, it's designed to withstand hurricane winds," a ranger reassures us.

After a major $20 million overhaul, the statue's base reopened to the public in 2004. But the crown, which was still too difficult to evacuate, was kept off-limits. Up until the last minute, the opening wasn't a sure thing. Studies piled higher until the White House recently gave the go-ahead.

Major repairs are scheduled to be completed in two years time. For now, people can only go up ten at a time, escorted by a ranger. It is a more intimate experience than in the days when hordes of tourists crammed the top of the structure.

A DATE WITH LADY LIBERTY

Reaching the crown requires registering on the Internet. The lucky 240 who get to go up each day are chosen by lottery. Bookings are currently being scheduled for the fall. Admission is $15 US for adults, including the boat ride. About 50,000 people are expected to visit this year. That number could climb to 100,000 the year after. For details, go to statuecruises.com.

LIBERTY LORE

- During its first 16 years, the statue served as a lighthouse. The torch was visible 39 km away.

- The 91-metre-tall statue was inaugurated in 1886 and was designed by French sculptor Frederic Bartholdi. The plans were drawn by Gustave Eiffel.

- The torch was replaced in 1986 with a flame covered in 24-karat gold.

- In 2006, the Statue of Liberty had 2.5 million visitors.

MJ.PARENT@SUNMEDIA.CA

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Baseball teams fear 'haunted' hotel

MILWAUKEE - First Carlos Gomez heard voices. Then he watched his iPod go haywire after he got out of the shower, sending him scrambling for the lobby without stopping to put on his pants and shoes.

After last year's experience, the Minnesota Twins outfielder didn't want to go back to Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel. But Gomez had to stay there when the Twins were in town to play the Brewers last month, so he brought some protection: teammate-turned-roommate Francisco Liriano and a Bible.

"Everything's scary," Gomez said. "Everything in the hotel, the paintings and pictures, it's a lot of old, crazy stuff. No good, man. No good."

The Pfister is Milwaukee's most regal address, having hosted every U.S. president since William McKinley and scores of celebrities who can take a self-guided tour of the hotel's Victorian art collection. Today, it's the place to stay for upscale business travellers and out-of-town visitors, including many Major League Baseball teams. Commissioner Bud Selig, a Milwaukee native, is a frequent visitor.

But some players don't care for the 116-year-old hotel's posh accommodations and reputation for privacy. They swear it's haunted.

Gomez, San Francisco's Pablo Sandoval, St. Louis' Brendan Ryan and several Florida Marlins all say they've had odd experiences, though Ryan later said nothing really happened. Others aren't willing to talk publicly about what they've seen and heard.

Brewers visiting clubhouse manager Phil Rozewicz has heard it all from sleepy-eyed players who would rather hang out at Miller Park than spend one minute more than they have to at the Pfister.

"There was a rookie ball player and he was back in his room and he woke up in the middle of the night and his blinds were open, the window was opened and he was panicked," Rozewicz said. "So he went into the bathroom, splashed water on his face, came back out and went to bed. Shut the blinds, the window. Woke up in the morning. Same thing. Slept on the couch in the lobby the next night. Refused to go to his room. Finally, went to a Motel 6 or whatever up the street and just stayed there."

Of course, some of this could be mischievous teammates pulling pranks. But Pfister ghost stories go well beyond the ballpark.

Allison Jornlin, who leads haunted history tours for the folklore research organization Milwaukee Ghosts, said guests have reported seeing a "portly, smiling gentleman" roaming the halls, riding the elevator and even walking his dog. The apparition is said to resemble Charles Pfister, who founded the hotel with his father, Guido.

"His ghost is thought, usually, to behave very well," Jornlin said. "But MLB players seem to bring out his mischievous side."

Why's that?

"Obviously, he's a Brewers fan," Jornlin said.

But even some of the Brewers won't stay there in the off-season.

"Even if I come into town for FanFest or whatever, I'm staying somewhere else," said Brewers centre-fielder Mike Cameron, who moved his family to another hotel after one night last off-season. "I mean, it's not a bad place. But there has been a lot of stories, a lot of creepy things that have gone on."

Hotel general manager Joe Kurth won't acknowledge any specific ghost stories from ballplayers or other guests, citing privacy concerns. But he doesn't shy away from the rumours, suggesting that guests interested in seeing a spirit might want to stay in the hotel's historic wing.

The Pfister does have its fans. Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy loves the quiet atmosphere, though the same couldn't be said for Tracy's players when he was managing the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I was hearing suggestions, to the point that they were saying, "I've got to go to a different hotel,"' Tracy said.

That sounds familiar to Gomez, who said he hears voices and noises when he stays there and had his worst experience after hopping out of the shower last year.

He'd just started putting his clothes on when his iPod started playing with a static noise. He grabbed it and the iPod changed music suddenly before going to static again.

"I grabbed my pants and my shoes and I ran to the lobby," Gomez said.

Gomez wishes the Twins would stay somewhere else.

"I'm scared to go there," he said. "They should change the hotel. Everybody here doesn't like the hotel. Why (do) they always put us in the same hotel when you can't sleep?"

-

AP Sports Writer John Marshall in Kansas City, Mo., Associated Press Writer Dave De Grace and AP freelance writer Joe Totoraitis in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

-

On the Net:

Pfister: http://www.thepfisterhotel.com

Milwaukee Ghosts: http://www.milwaukeeghosts.com

Nissan Mobile Game : cube(R) Party RoundupLeave the skis at home

10 great airport activities

You have some time at the airport. You say, “There's nothing to do."

Well, you could take a short walk to a quiet office cubicle with high-speed internet, or a day spa offering a wide range of massage options or a relaxing set of rocking chairs for curling up with a good book, or even a permanent exhibit of Zimbabwean sculpture.  

See our slideshow of 10 Great Things to Do in Airports.

Too many travelers assume that airports are little more than opportunities to scurry between gates and wait numbly. "I think a lot of folks look at an airport, and it's just kind of a hassle," agrees Jeff Green, director of public relations for Denver International Airport. "But quite honestly, it feels good here, and there's lots to do," citing Denver's world-class microbrews, dining options, spectacular scenery, and grand displays of public art (some of them large enough to spawn internet conspiracy theories) for starters.

Denver isn't alone in its artistic offerings. San Francisco International Airport (SFO), features an 11,500-square-foot library and museum offering thousands of photos and artifacts from the history of aviation. Many other hubs offer surprising art programs, including Philadelphia, whose numerous exhibits include movie posters, abstract paintings, and American flags; and Atlanta, whose aforementioned Zimbabwean rock sculptures await you between terminals A and T.

If a workout is more your speed, several airport hotels offer day-passes to their gym and spa facilities. In Chicago's O'Hare International, try the Hilton in Terminal 2; in Detroit, the Westin and its gym are in the new McNamara Terminal; and at Boston's Logan International Airport, there's a Hilton just across the skybridge. And even if there isn't time to leave the concourse, XpresSpa offers vigorous back rubs, facials, and even Brazilian waxing at more than 30 in-terminal locations, including eight in New York's JFK airport alone. Massage Bar and d_parture spa are fast-growing competitors offering similar services.

Once you've worked up an appetite, take a few extra minutes to seek out local flavors. At DFW, Cousin's Bar-B-Q is a taste of Texas, while Miami's La Carreta offers rib-sticking pressed sandwiches and Cuban delights. LAX's Encounter is a Jetsons-refugee lava lamp citadel, is as over-the-top and health-oriented as the city it represents. On the other hand, if you're flying out of the JetBlue Terminal at JFK, you're already surrounded by options from sushi to tapas.

If upscale shopping is your pastime (and there's room in your carry-ons), luxury boutiques from Swarovski, Bulgari, Hermes, Cartier, and the like are usually grouped in international departures concourses. Alternatively, museum stores offer distinctive gifts, so the Smithsonian Museum boutiques in Dulles, Newark, or Reagan National, the Metropolitan Museum of Art locations in LaGuardia, JFK, Boston, Newark, and Houston; or the SFMOMA store in SFO may be just the ticket.

Wine aficionados can raise a glass at Vino Volo in nine major airports from Newark to Seattle, or Cibo Bistro and Wine Bar in Philadelphia, LaGuardia, and Reagan National in Washington, D.C. Beer lovers, meanwhile, have fresh local brews on offer in SFO (Anchor Brewing), LAX (Redondo Beach Brewing Co.), Seattle (Red Hook), Boston (Cisco Brew Pub), O'Hare (GooseIsland), Philadelphia (Independence Brew Pub), and many other major cities.

See our slideshow of the 10 Great Things to Do in Airports.

If the drinks have to wait until after your deadline, the reLAX Lounge in the Bradley Terminal at LAX is essentially a first-class airline lounge—complete with internet connections, free refreshments, business services, and even massages—open to anyone for a nominal fee. Meanwhile, among standard airport business centers, Denver, SFO, and DFW are all exceptional and open 24 hours.

Elsewhere, private cubicles offered by Regus Express (formerly Laptop Lane) in Seattle, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and elsewhere are small but quiet; you might even try taking nap while you’re in one of them. An increasing number of airports—among them Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, and Pittsburgh—offer system-wide free WiFi. If you have a laptop, just plop down and work anywhere you feel comfortable.

One favorite laptop plop? Anywhere amid the phalanxes of comfy oak rocking chairs which have been replicated from a pleasant little quirk of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport to the favored airport secret of blissful travelers from San Diego to Boston. The gentle rocking motion can make even a stranded traveler having the worst of travel days feel right at home.

2010 Ford Taurus and Designer Earl LucasTop 15 vacation spots

Eastern Canada's ports calling

Q: We'll be taking a cruise in August and I'd like to know about day trips. Our cruise specialist hasn't sent us any details yet but I'd like to get a head start. Some of the cities we'll be visiting are Sydney, N.S., Halifax, Quebec City and Montreal.

-- B. TRAYNOR, HAMILTON

A: Cruise lines typically offer passengers organized shore excursions at each port of call. These trips cost extra and the price tag can get pretty hefty depending on the package.

In some instances it makes sense to take a shore excursion but in others it's easy to explore on your own. If you'd like to make an independent trip, remember that timing is everything. Ensure you build in enough travel time to allow yourself time to enjoy the ports of call but still get back to the ship before it sails. The ship will not wait for passengers who return late from independent touring, and catching up with it in the next port can be costly.

A few years ago, while on a Mediterranean cruise, we did an independent trip to Florence, Italy, from our port of Livorno. We taxied to the train station, took the train to Florence and spent a lovely afternoon with friends who greeted us with a Tuscan lunch steps away from the famous Duomo.

After returning to Livorno, we waited at a cruise-approved pick-up stop with an anxious bunch of cruisers who also did independent trips that day. We managed to board the last shuttle bus headed for our cruise ship -- talk about calculating everything down to the last minute!

Later that evening over cocktails, our cruise group reminisced about the afternoon. One couple managed to hire a driver who took them to Pisa, Florence and Bologna. Needless to say, they only had enough time to snap a photo at one landmark in each city.

If you want to avoid the anxiety of independent trips, I suggest booking shore excursions. Cruise lines post excursion details on their websites. The descriptions are generic but give you an idea.

Personally I enjoy the independent approach, mapping out our day and doing something different. For more information on Sydney and Halifax, visit the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism at novascotia.com and the Halifax city site at halifaxinfo.com. For Quebec City, visit Quebec City Tourism at quebecregion.com/e and for Montreal, log onto Tourism Montreal at tourisme-montreal.org.

Q: When I was a university student, I visited a leather school in Florence. I couldn't afford to buy anything then but would like to return and buy something this time around. I haven't been able to find any information on it. It was in a church if that helps.

--D. LOKUN, ETOBICOKE

A: Florence's Monastery of Santa Croce -- which is a landmark in its own right as may famous figures are buried there including Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli -- has a leather school on site called the Scuola del Cuoio. Visitors can enter the school, which as started by the Franciscan brothers, through the church or its gardens or via a private entrance off Via San Giuseppe.

The school and showroom are open weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays during tourist season from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is 5 euros (about $8.25). See scuoladelcuoio.com. If you don't have time to visit, the school has an online store. Q: How far is the drive from Chicago to Indianapolis? We're going to Chicago for a wedding and I was thinking we could take a day trip from there. We look forward to your help.

-- K. STYLES, MARKHAM

A: The distance is about 263 km. If you average 110 km/hour by car, it should take about three hours to get to this Midwestern city southeast of Chicago. Remember that Indianapolis, Ind., is one hour ahead of Chicago, Ill.

ILONA@MYCOMPASS.CA

Nissan North America Announces Management ChangesWhat they say about us

Hotels posting fake reviews

BOSTON (AP) — The hotel review may sound too good — citing obscure details like the type of faucets — or perhaps one stands out as the only negative rating of an otherwise popular location.

The influential travel Web site TripAdvisor has been quietly posting disclaimers to warn customers of hotels writing fake reviews to improve their popularity rankings or hurt competitors.

The red disclaimers near the names of hotels show that TripAdvisor has a problem with fake reviews, travel bloggers and industry experts say. One blogger, Jeff Tucker, warned that without changes to restore credibility to the reviews the site is “going to come crumbling down behind them.”

But TripAdvisor said the disclaimers have been used since 2006 and involve a small fraction of the 400,000 hotels reviewed. The company, based in Newton, Mass., said it has a successful system to root out inaccurate reviews.

“The 23 million reviews and opinions are authentic and they’re unbiased and they’re from real users,” spokesman Brooke Ferencsik said. “The vast majority of hoteliers, they understand the risk to their business and reputation if they attempt to post fraudulent information to TripAdvisor.”

The problem of policing online reviews is not limited to TripAdvisor.

Last fall, Apple required that consumers purchase or download an application before they can review it online in the App Store. A plastic surgery company, Lifestyle Lift Inc., agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve an investigation into positive online reviews written by employees, the New York attorney general announced Tuesday. And the Federal Trade Commission is revising guidelines on testimonials and endorsements to reflect the growth of online marketing.

TripAdvisor, which is part of Expedia Inc., was the third most popular travel information site in June, with about 9.2 million unique visitors, according to the tracking firm comScore.

The company ranks hotels according to how well they have been reviewed, and loyal users say it is the best place to find accommodations, from ritzy resorts in major cities to mom-and-pop inns far off the beaten path. Users are directed to other sites such as Expedia to book rooms.

But last month travel Web sites and blogs began to log and discuss the red warnings, which read: “TripAdvisor has reasonable cause to believe that either this property or individuals associated with the property may have attempted to manipulate our popularity index by interfering with the unbiased nature of our reviews. Please take this into consideration when researching your travel plans.”

One industry Web site, BeatOfHawaii.com, said it found 92 hotels with the label in June, from a boutique hotel in Hawaii to a Radisson in Fort Worth, Texas. The disclaimers drew a lot of attention that month and by Monday, only 16 remained, said Tucker, co-author BeatofHawaii.com.

The disclaimers have an expiration date that varies with each hotel, Ferencsik said. He said TripAdvisor works with hotel owners to get the warnings removed, often after they promise to stop breaking the site’s rules.

“Not only does it give our travelers fair warning,” he said. “But also it should be a deterrent for any property that’s thinking about trying to game the system.”

The company has policies to weed out suspicious reviews, screens reviews before they are posted, and uses automated tools to identify attempts to corrupt the system, Ferencsik said. Users can also report reviews they find not credible.

Ferencsik declined to describe how the company decides a post is not legitimate, saying that could help fake posters subvert the rules.

But experts say manipulated reviews can be overly positive, citing features — such as the brand of faucet fixtures — regular travelers rarely notice. Or they can be extremely negative, with a competitor bashing a hotel that generally has more favorable reviews. Fake posters often have only one or a few reviews, whereas many regular TripAdvisor users post numerous reviews.

The disclaimers show TripAdvisor is taking threats to their credibility seriously, said Lisa Klein Pearo, an adjunct marketing professor at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration who has researched word-of-mouth marketing.

“I think this is TripAdvisor’s way of cracking down on them and, in some ways, standing up for the consumer,” she said. “I think it could work in TripAdvisor’s favor.”

But she and others say TripAdvisor could do much more to eliminate fake reviews. Steven Carvell, the associate dean of the Cornell school, said other opinion sites verify that consumers stayed in the hotels or bought the products they review.

On TripAdvisor, “there isn’t an actual connection between a verified reservation and a payment and who’s writing those things,” Carvell said. “People early on were not playing games with it. Now there are lots of games.”

Tucker said travel industry insiders — but often not casual travelers — understand the financial incentives hotels have to artificially inflate their rankings on the site. Some offer discounts or freebies to patrons who write positive reviews or hire public relations companies who say they can improve the reviews.

“I’d really like to see TripAdvisor deal with the public in kind of an openhanded way, talk to people this issue,” he said.

But Arthur Frommer, founder of the Frommer’s travel guides, said travelers should rely on the advice of experts, such as guidebook writers or journalists.

Frommer said he had to discontinue a popular feature in some of his guidebooks that included readers’ selections, largely because he could not be certain they did not come from businesses.

“Find write-ups by professionals whose judgments you trust and rely on that,” Frommer said. “I would never rely on the judgment of amateurs.”

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