How to Handle Situations When Hate Shows Up on Your Tour (or in Your Reviews)

Tour operators are ready for almost anything: a missed connection, a surprise downpour, a flat tire on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere. But few are trained for what to do when a guest says something hateful, whether on the tour or in a review afterward. (And let’s be honest: sometimes, no amount of training can prepare you for the jaw-dropping things guests say.)

Still, it’s happening more often than anyone likes to admit.

And, while it's one thing when someone makes a hateful comment on a tour, it's another when that behavior bleeds into a one-star review posted to a third-party site; a review you didn’t ask for, can’t easily remove, and that doesn't reflect who you are or how your team runs tours. (Or, the type of hate you'd tolerate on a tour!)

So, what can you actually do about it?

This article is here to help: with real-world steps and policies you can start using now, whether the incident happens on the bus, back at the hotel, or on a review platform you don’t control.

If It Happens During the Tour...

Sometimes intolerance surfaces in small, unsettling comments that can be ignored. Other times it’s louder: a slur, an insult, or a confrontation that can make others uncomfortable.

When Susanne Kowarc of Wonders of Vienna was leading a tour through Vienna when she experienced an alarming situation within her group. While passing through a historically significant area, they mentioned its connection to the city’s former Jewish Ghetto. A guest responded with a deeply inappropriate and hateful comment.

The guide addressed it calmly and professionally letting them know that wouldn't be tolerated, but the moment lingered. Afterward, she was left questioning whether mentioning the site at all had been the right choice (of course, it was), as well as how situations could be handled like that in the future.

It’s a tension many guides face: sharing important history while navigating unpredictable guest reactions. Moments like these are a reminder that responsible storytelling can be uncomfortable, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary.

So, if something like this happens in the middle of a tour, it can be difficult to know how to address it in that moment. Here are some tips:

1. Step in, calmly and directly

If someone uses offensive language or behaves inappropriately, step in quickly and clearly:

Even a short statement like that can reset the tone - and signal to others on the tour (and your team) that you take it seriously.

2. Remove the guest (if needed and possible)

You’re not obligated to keep someone on your tour who’s endangering or harassing others. Reference your Terms & Conditions (you do have a code of conduct, right?) and have a protocol for removal or isolation - especially on multi-day trips.

3. Support the person or group affected

Whether it was a guest, guide, or local partner who experienced the behavior, take time to support them - even just checking in privately to say, “I saw that. I’m sorry it happened. Are you okay?” It matters.

4. Document the incident

Note what happened, when, and who was present, ideally with timestamps or even photos if available. This documentation will be useful if a guest complains, writes a bad review, or tries to escalate the situation. We'll get to this in a moment!

If this happens 'live', it's one thing. But, when that hateful rhetoric translates over to a negative review of the company (and, all for doing the right thing!), it's another. Let's get into it.

If It Happens After the Trip (In a Review)...

Let’s say someone leaves a bad review that includes hate speech, coded language (“too many locals”), or misrepresents what actually happened on a tour. When this review appears on your own website or with a partner, it may be somewhat easier to get it taken down. But, when it appears on a third-party website, it can be much more difficult and can cause all sorts of problems for the operator.

One tour operator, Lia Garcia, co-owner of Louisville Food Tours, experienced an unfortunate situation like this:

"We conduct tours that dive into the city’s complex history, covering topics like slavery, religious rebellion, and other pivotal events that shaped the region. These tours are rooted in historical accuracy, curiosity, and respect."

As part of their inclusive approach, all guides wear name tags with their pronouns—a small but intentional gesture to make both staff and guests feel welcome.

"Recently, a guest left a review on a third-party site that mischaracterized the tour as “political” and targeted the use of pronouns, using language that clearly violated that platform’s content policies. Despite multiple removal requests as well as other community members who reported and flagged the review on their behalf, also citing those policies, the review remained live for weeks before it was finally taken down."

Here’s how to respond if your company finds itself in this situation:

5. Screenshot it immediately

Some platforms remove or edit reviews without warning, and if it’s offensive, you may want to file a report. Document it while it’s live.

6. Respond publicly (if safe and strategic)

When a hateful or misinformed review is public, others are watching how you handle it. Your goal? Stay factual, set the record straight, and signal your values. If you can't have the comment deleted right now, maybe you can respond to it by saying something like: “We take guest safety and inclusion seriously, and we do not tolerate discrimination on our tours. The behavior referenced in this review led to the guest being asked to leave the tour early. We stand by our team and our code of conduct.”

7. Flag the review for removal

Most OTAs have policies against hate speech and discriminatory content. If a review violates those policies, flag it and report it with specific evidence, including timestamps and screenshots.

Some partners are better than others. If you’re ignored, consider escalating to a rep or asking other operators if they’ve had success with certain approaches. Or, tag it on social media to get more attention in it.

Pro Tips: Prevention + Preparedness

You can’t prevent hate and you'd drive yourself crazy if you did! But, there are ways you can reduce your exposure to it with a few proactive steps:

Create a code of conduct for guests

Include it in your booking terms or pre-trip welcome email. Even one sentence like this helps. “We’re proud to host travelers from all backgrounds. Discriminatory language or behavior will result in removal from the tour.”

Train your guides to respond

With your team, offer scripts, run through scenarios, and make sure they know they’ll be backed up if they take action.

Add a “report an issue” option in post-tour surveys

Let guests discreetly report bad behavior from others. You might prevent a worse incident down the line. It could be that there was a situation that happened that your guides did not realize happened. The worse would be to find out about it later in a review that you can't take down!

Ultimately, it's important to give everyone the space to review.

The Bottom Line

You can’t control what every guest says or writes. But with the right systems in place, you can control how your team responds, how you support them, and how your business moves forward.

That’s where Tour Amigo comes in.

We built our platform to give operators more ownership over their experiences; not just in the moment, but afterward, too. With the ability to customize your terms & conditions, internal incident logs, integrated feedback tools, and post-tour surveys that actually let guests report concerns discreetly, our software helps you lead with integrity and stay protected. And, our white-label helps you decide what to include on your site and what to keep behind-the-scenes.

You’re already trained to handle last-minute itinerary changes and weather delays. But having the digital tools to manage the harder, human moments? That’s just as essential.

Tour Amigo helps make that possible, you can keep doing what you do best: creating meaningful, inclusive, unforgettable experiences.

Don't let poor reviews from unkind customers impact your business. Book a demo today to learn how our booking reservation software can help you have more control over your business, without losing out on potential bookings.