TripAdvisor and Facebook, the biggest powerhouses in online travel and social media, are forging a closer friendship.

Facebook Connect and research hotels, destinations, attractions or restaurants can also see and message a list of their Facebook friends who've visited or lived in that location. The information comes from publicly available Facebook profiles and from TripAdvisor's "Cities I've Visited" application on Facebook, a pushpin map that's one of the social media site's most popular travel applications with 16 million downloads and 5.5 million active monthly users. TripAdvisor estimates that 5%-10% of members' Facebook friends will have downloaded the "Cities I've Visited" feature, with the average user "pinning" 70 locations.

The TripAdvisor/Facebook partnership dates from 2007 when TripAdvisor launched "Cities I've Visited," and earlier this year it integrated the Facebook "Like" button that shows how many friends have given a thumbs up to a specific destination or property. The latest expansion comes as 10-year-old TripAdvisor, which at 34 million unique visitors a month is the world's most popular travel site, has been criticized for its anonymous - and, some say, planted - opinions.

Since Forrester Research estimates that 58% of travelers are Facebook members and 72% have participated in some form of social media (which includes user review sites), the enhanced integration is "a smart move for TripAdvisor," says Forrester travel analyst Henry Harteveldt.

"I think TripAdvisor recognizes that a substantial number of people don't trust anonymous ratings and reviews," adds Harteveldt. "What this does is allow you to see what other people are saying, and then go to your own network of friends to authenticate (the information)."

Readers, do you trust TripAdvisor's "wisdom of the crowds" philosophy - or will the ability to tap into your Facebook friends' knowledge make its advice more trustworthy?