The Countryside Alliance's Adrian Blackmore introduces www.eagle-review.com, a new internet tool that helps sportsmen pick their ideal shooting or fishing destination: What a day – perfect in every respect, and exactly what had been hoped for. Such an opinion might well apply to a holiday or short weekend break having read on-line reviews before booking, but how often can that be said of a shooting or fishing trip? If one has previous experience of a shoot or beat, can rely on the recommendation of friends, or trusted something that proved to be spot on in a magazine article, then that might well be the case, but all too often one has to rely on trawling the internet, or descriptions provided by an agent or owner.
It can also take a lot of time carrying out the necessary research, and when one may be spending a considerable amount of money, it is both irritating and disappointing if a day does not live up to expectations. It need not just be the way birds are presented, the beauty of a location, or even the value for money that lets a day down. Small things such as the atmosphere of a shoot, and the friendliness of those members of the 'home team' that are out on the day beating and picking-up can make all the difference between a day that is truly memorable, and one that is not.
It looks as though all that could change with the launch of Eagle Review, an independent global referencing website that has been described as the 'TripAdvisor' for the shooting and fishing industry. Launched at the end of May, Eagle Review allows sportsmen to evaluate and review a location they have visited, as well to choose a location to shoot or fish guided by the comments of fellow Guns and Rods.
Bookings are then made directly with the owner or agent, and not through the company as it believes that this is the only way it can remain truly independent. The aim of Eagle Review is to contribute to the sustainable use of shooting and fishing on an international scale, by promoting an effective information service on the quality of destinations. Of benefit both to businesses and those looking to find shooting, fishing destinations, clay pigeon grounds and simulated game anywhere in the world, people can research their next destination by browsing through reviews and photographs on their mobile, tablet or desktop, all at no cost as they can join at no charge.
Eagle Review does not rely on the bookings that result from those browsing the site, and there is no cost for a basic listing for those providing shooting and fishing. There is however a charge if they want to be upgraded to a business listing, which allows them to have more photographs, videos, and social media buttons to further help their marketing.
Thousands of international destinations for virtually every game species have now committed to Eagle Review, including some top estates in the UK. Many more are expected to follow, as by joining they will be putting themselves directly in front of a targeted audience with a high disposable income. Transparency is essential – when booking people want to feel safe in the knowledge that they are not being missold – so there is automatic and manual fraud detection for any false review, and the ability for hosts to respond to reviews
should they wish.
All this is the brainchild of Coen Stork, a Dutchman with a multinational track record in the IT and service industry who owns Château de Villette, a sporting estate in Burgundy. Along with a small team of experts that includes a Google country director and a former chief marketing officer of Booking.com, his aim is for Eagle Review to become the leading shooting review brand with a global presence and over a million users.
Given the benefits that this could bring to all those selling shooting and fishing, and those looking at purchasing the same, it is hoped that he is successful.
Until the launch of Eagle Review, no internet solution existed for shooting and fishing that set out to be truly international, with a professional and independent review capability as in TripAdvisor, and which offered an easy to use mobile solution with high quality imagery. Now Guns and anglers can write or read independent reviews on sporting destinations, which in turn can promote themselves to their target audience. The website, which is constantly expanding, covers global locations, the species available at each, the types of shooting that can be undertaken and the price range. Each review covers the quality of sport available, value for money, beauty and the level of service and hospitality provided: www.eagle-review.com
