**UPDATE: Galileo Opinions has been renamed to Travelport Opinions**

As reported my Kevin May on Tnooz.com, Travelport have released a new site entitled “Galileo Opinions”. The site, powered by Vinivi, is still in a beta form  but already  has some features that make it stand out.

You might be asking yourself,  what makes this site different from the plethora of other review sites already established on the internet, as there are plenty to choose from. For one, Galileo Opinions focuses on industry professional reviews, something I have said in the past has discredited tripadvisor style consumer review services. I tend to add more value to the opinions of industry professionals opposed to those submitted by a consumers simply because they have a better understanding of destinations and the varied quality of accommodation across different regions.

The second differentiating feature that really sets the site apart is the high value on community and participation. The points based system if a great motivator for contribution, letting members use banked points to gain access to free gifts like iPods and movie tickets. This aspect of the site has generated a lot of activity around the office as many staff are working their way towards their first free gift. For those more ego-centric travellers, there’s a map function that allows members to essentially show-off where they have travelled and nominate regions they feel they have some specialized knowledge.

All of these features are presented in a very modern, clean design which is miles ahead of its direct competitors. From a UI perspective the site is quite intuitive to navigate and it’s easy to forget that this is still in beta form. If this is only the start, I can’t wait to see where this goes.