P Partners

Methodology — How We Build Our Recommendations

Every Partners recommendation goes through the same review process. This page documents our data sources, selection criteria, conflict-of-interest disclosures, and update cycles — so readers can decide whether to trust our picks.

1. Data sources

Our primary data comes from these sources, in order of weight.

  • MyRealTrip ratings, reviews, and booking volume — fetched live via the Partner API. We don't screenshot or hand-copy.
  • Operator-provided product information — guide group size, English support, cancellation policy, and certifications come from the listing's operator disclosure on MyRealTrip.
  • First-hand experiences and traveler interviews — where possible, our editors visit the experience or interview someone who recently took it. Any quoted experience is attributed inline.
  • External review aggregators — TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and travel blogs are used as secondary signals, but never quoted directly in body text.

2. Selection criteria (first-cut filter)

To shortlist 5–10 candidates from a much larger search result, we apply these filters:

  • Average rating ≥4.6
  • Review sample ≥100 (exceptions for newly listed products that fill a real gap — e.g. a new English-language tour — are explicitly flagged in the body)
  • Currently bookable (no soft-discontinued listings)
  • Price spread — every article must include budget, mid-range, and premium picks, not cluster in one band
  • Persona match — at minimum three of the five traveler-type axes (first-timer, K-fan, foodie, family, solo) must be covered

3. Mandatory cons — every pick

Every recommendation includes 1–2 honest cons. An all-upside list is closer to advertising and doesn't help anyone. Cons aren't penalties for low ratings — they're honest signals that a great experience may not fit certain travelers (e.g. "Mostly outdoor; rain plan not flexible", "Audio guide is English-only").

4. Affiliate — conflict-of-interest disclosures

Partners is a MyRealTrip affiliate marketing partner. We earn commission on bookings made through our recommendation links. Our disclosure principles:

  • Commission does not determine ranking. Our 4.6 cutoff and persona fit override commission rate every time.
  • Disclosure within first 200 chars. Every affiliate article includes the <Disclosure> component at the top of the body.
  • No self-purchases. Our team never books through our own links — both an affiliate-program TOS issue and an attribution-data integrity issue.
  • No pre-publication review by MyRealTrip. MyRealTrip does not see articles before they ship, and we cover cons, cancellation gaps, and operator weaknesses freely.

5. Update cycle

Every article is re-verified at the 6-month mark for discontinuation, stock-out, and price changes. If pricing has shifted ≥30% or a featured product is discontinued, the body is updated and the frontmatter updatedDate is refreshed. Seasonally sensitive articles (autumn-foliage tours, cherry-blossom spots) are refreshed annually.

6. Corrections

If you spot a factual error, please flag it via our contact page. We review within 3 business days and document any change in a "Revision history" note at the bottom of the affected article.