As someone who works in the tourism industry, I’m often struck by the power that negative TripAdvisor reviews have over bookings. It seems that many companies are terrified of receiving negative feedback—scared that a mistake will drive potential customers away. But here’s the thing: I’ve always believed that without mistakes, we cannot learn. It’s human nature to make mistakes, and they’re an essential part of growing, developing, and improving.
Mistakes are not something to fear. In fact, they’re something to embrace. They’re proof that we are doing something. We’re trying, we’re evolving, we’re stepping outside our comfort zones—and that’s a good thing. In tourism, especially, when we push ourselves to offer authentic and unique experiences, we are bound to encounter bumps along the way. It’s only through those bumps that we learn, strengthen, and become better at what we do.
I’ll be the first to admit that some of our guests aren’t always 100% happy with the service or experiences we provide. But I’m okay with that. At **Eternal Landscapes**, we don’t sell the “perfect” or the sanitized version of Mongolia. We offer the *real* Mongolia—the one with its beautiful, rugged landscapes, its rich culture, and yes, its challenges. We work with real people living real lives in a vast country with limited infrastructure, and that means things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes plans need to change, and sometimes, things will go wrong.
And that’s okay. Tourism is highly subjective, and expectations can vary widely. We care deeply about the experiences we offer, but we also know that no matter how hard we try, we won’t always be able to meet every single expectation. And that’s where learning and growth come in.
For years, I feared that any negative feedback or reviews would be detrimental to our business. We’re a small operation, and even losing a small percentage of business could impact us significantly. I didn’t want to compete directly with our larger competitors who chase bigger markets. We were comfortable with being true to ourselves, with saying: *This is us. This is what we stand for.*
It took some time, but I’ve learned that I want our guests to know that their opinions matter to me—whether those opinions are positive, negative, or somewhere in between. I see feedback as an opportunity for us to learn and improve. So, I started emailing guests each year, sharing the overall feedback we received—good and bad—and how we planned to adapt and grow from it.
The results have been surprising. Guests who left negative feedback in the past have responded to these emails, expressing that they would still recommend us because of our willingness to listen, learn, and improve. Those conversations have helped build trust and deepen our connection with our guests. It turns out that being open about our imperfections and showing a commitment to learning is exactly what our guests appreciate most.
Of course, we still make mistakes. There’s no way around that. But instead of fearing failure, I’ve learned to view it as an essential part of our journey. We may stumble, but at least we’re moving forward. We’re constantly adapting, improving, and striving to offer better experiences for our guests.
So, I’m proud to say that **Eternal Landscapes Mongolia** is not scared of a negative TripAdvisor review. We’re not perfect, and we don’t try to be. What matters to us is that we are always learning, growing, and improving. And we’ll continue to embrace the mistakes that come along the way, because they are the stepping stones to making us stronger and better in the long run.