TripAdvisor Adds Badge to Mark Hotels Where Sexual Assault Has Been Reported

TripAdvisor has added badges to mark hotels and resorts where sexual assault has been reported in a bid to flag “health, safety, and discrimination issues” at popular travel destinations, The New York Times reports. The move comes after the travel website came under fire this month for deleting a woman’s post alleging a sexual assault at a well-known Mexican resort. The company issued a public apology last week to Dallas resident Kristie Love, who said numerous warnings she’d posted on the site about an alleged sexual assault at the Iberostar Paraiso Maya hotel had been deleted. Iberostar Paraiso Maya is among the locations flagged with TripAdvisor’s new badge, along with the Grand Velas Riviera Maya and the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo, all highly rated sites in Mexico’s Playa del Carmen region. Kevin Carter, a spokesman for the website, told the Times the badges are “intended to be informative, not punitive.” “These badges will remain on TripAdvisor for up to three months. However, if the issues persist we may extend the duration of the badge,” he said.