These Search tools help you browse hotels, save money on your next flight and discover things to do
Traveling can be a source of joy and excitement, especially when meaningful experiences are involved. In the last year, we’ve seen searches for “fun activities” reach an all-time high in the U.S. That’s why we’re continuing to make it easier for people to discover things to do on Google, and for businesses to connect with these new potential customers as they plan their trips.
Last year, we began showing ticket booking links on Search when people look for attractions, like the Boston Tea Party Museum, to help them quickly compare admissions prices across different partners. Now, this ticket information is available on Google Maps as well, where travelers often plan their itinerary for the day.
Compare ticket prices right in Google Maps.
We’re also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction, like a combined Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour. This feature is currently available on Search and will also be available soon on Maps.
We are also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction.
In the near future, we’ll also begin displaying booking links for tour and activity operators on their Search and Maps listings when people query their business name, like “John’s London Bike Tours.”
Attraction, tour, and activity operators can work with an approved connectivity partner to provide travelers with the most up-to-date pricing information through a feed integration. Beginning today, attraction owners can also directly edit their ticket prices on Search and Maps through their Business Profile, and this functionality will soon be available for tour and activity operators as well.
Attraction owners can directly edit their ticket prices through their Business Profile.
Last year we introduced a new ad format on Search that helps advertisers stand out and drive more revenue by showing details like pricing, images and reviews when people search for things to do. Now, this ad unit has expanded coverage to include more countries and languages and is eligible to appear on individual attraction listings on mobile Search. These ads can be set up using the same data feeds that power the free ticket booking links on Search and Maps, so it’s easy to get started.
Ads expanded coverage to appear on even more search results.
Register here for our Travel on Air Webinar to learn about these new tools and more to help you connect with potential customers.
Traveling can be a source of joy and excitement, especially when meaningful experiences are involved. In the last year, we’ve seen searches for “fun activities” reach an all-time high in the U.S. That’s why we’re continuing to make it easier for people to discover things to do on Google, and for businesses to connect with these new potential customers as they plan their trips.
Last year, we began showing ticket booking links on Search when people look for attractions, like the Boston Tea Party Museum, to help them quickly compare admissions prices across different partners. Now, this ticket information is available on Google Maps as well, where travelers often plan their itinerary for the day.
Compare ticket prices right in Google Maps.
We’re also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction, like a combined Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour. This feature is currently available on Search and will also be available soon on Maps.
We are also starting to show booking links for experiences connected to a particular attraction.
In the near future, we’ll also begin displaying booking links for tour and activity operators on their Search and Maps listings when people query their business name, like “John’s London Bike Tours.”
Attraction, tour, and activity operators can work with an approved connectivity partner to provide travelers with the most up-to-date pricing information through a feed integration. Beginning today, attraction owners can also directly edit their ticket prices on Search and Maps through their Business Profile, and this functionality will soon be available for tour and activity operators as well.
Attraction owners can directly edit their ticket prices through their Business Profile.
Last year we introduced a new ad format on Search that helps advertisers stand out and drive more revenue by showing details like pricing, images and reviews when people search for things to do. Now, this ad unit has expanded coverage to include more countries and languages and is eligible to appear on individual attraction listings on mobile Search. These ads can be set up using the same data feeds that power the free ticket booking links on Search and Maps, so it’s easy to get started.
Ads expanded coverage to appear on even more search results.
Register here for our Travel on Air Webinar to learn about these new tools and more to help you connect with potential customers.
According to recent research, people want to make sustainable choices when they travel, but they often lack the information needed to do so. To help solve this problem, we’ve embedded sustainability into our travel tools over the past year. For example, you can see estimated carbon emissions on Google Flights, and when you search for hotels, you’ll find an eco-label on properties that carry a certification from a trusted third-party group. Today, we’re introducing even more tools to help you make greener choices when you travel.
With new filters for both flights and hotels, it’s easier to find more sustainable options. If you want to view only flights that have lower emissions compared to the average for similar trips, simply tap the “Low Emissions” filter on Google Flights.
It works the same way when you search for hotels on google.com/travel. Select the new “Eco-certified” filter and the view will update so you can browse a list containing only eco-certified properties. To improve the accuracy of these results, we’re now working directly with organizations like the U.S. Green Building Council (which provides LEED ratings) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to begin importing their database of eco-certified hotels.
Want to swap the car or plane for a train? For some trips, taking a train might be the more sustainable option, but finding the prices and schedules to get from A to B can take a few separate searches. Starting today, you can now shop for train tickets directly on Google Search, for travel in and around select countries — including Germany, Spain, Italy and Japan.
Just query something like “Berlin to Vienna trains” and you’ll see a new module in the search results that lets you choose your departure date and compare the available options. Once you select the train that works best, there’s a direct link to complete your booking on the partner’s website.
This feature will expand to more locations as we work with other rail providers. We also plan to begin testing a similar feature for bus tickets in the near future to broaden your choices for intercity travel.
Over time, we want to make sure that the environmental impact of your travel options is always part of the equation. And while there is still a long road ahead on this journey, we believe these new tools bring us one step closer in that direction.
Summer is fast approaching in most parts of the world, and there’s a familiar travel planning buzz in the air. Whether you have a destination in mind or are just dreaming about an escape, Google has tools to help you get inspired and research your options so you can book with ease when the time is right. Read on for new features that’ll make travel planning a joy, this summer and beyond.
Track flight prices for any dates
On Google Flights, you can track prices for specific dates between two cities. Just search for your destination, toggle to opt-in, and we’ll email you if prices drop substantially for those dates. But maybe there’s somewhere you’ve always wanted to go and you just want the best deal possible (dream trip to Rome, anyone?). Beginning today, you can start tracking prices to find deals for any dates, and you’ll get an email if we detect lower than typical fares in the next 3-6 months. As they say, good things come to those who wait!
Browse destinations within driving distance
Not sure where to visit? The Explore tool lets you browse locations around the world with filters for things like budget or trip length. In the default view, Explore will show flight prices, but now you’ll also see a pink dot and a bubble that reads ‘Explore nearby’. Tap this feature to narrow your search to places you can drive to in a few hours, and select any destination to see helpful information including average hotel prices or what kind of weather to expect. If you do decide to take that road trip, there are plenty of ways Google Maps can help.
Find the perfect place to stay
Once you know where you’re going, it’s time to decide where you’ll stay. You can search for hotels on Google or head straight to google.com/travel. Heading to a new city? It can be overwhelming to choose what neighborhood to stay in, but with new interest layers on the map, you can quickly see which areas have the most options for dining, shopping or sightseeing. For more popular destinations, you can also tap ‘Where to stay’ under the search filters, for a handy neighborhood guide.
For some trips, you may want easy access to a certain landmark or address. Beginning today, you can enter that location in the hotel or vacation rental search bar and you’ll see a toggle to show properties within a 15 or 30 minute trip by foot or car. This might be helpful if you’re going to an event, like a wedding or a conference, and want to stay near the venue.
Stay organized along the way
For the vacation dreamers and planners, we’ve introduced a new way to keep track of properties that pique your interest so you can pick up your travel planning right where you left off. Just tap the bookmark icon on any hotel or vacation rental, and it’ll be saved for easy reference. To see your saved properties, look for the Saved tab on mobile or the right hand panel on desktop.
Here’s to safe and happy travels!
Last month, we shared new sustainability initiatives from our travel team, including ways you can find eco-certified hotels on Google. Now, we’re bringing information on carbon emissions directly into Google Flights.
Beginning today, you’ll see a carbon emissions estimate for nearly every flight in the search results — right next to the price and duration of the flight. So when you’re choosing among flights of similar cost or timing, you can also factor carbon emissions into your decision.
Google Flights shows estimated carbon emissions in the search results.
These emissions estimates are flight-specific as well as seat-specific. For instance, newer aircraft are generally less polluting than older aircraft, and emissions increase for premium economy and first-class seats because they take up more space and account for a larger share of total emissions.
To put these estimates in context, flights with significantly lower emissions will be labeled with a green badge. And if you want to prioritize carbon impact, you can sort all of the results to bring the greenest flights to the top of the list.
You can sort results by carbon emissions and see how each flight compares to the average.
To produce these estimates, we’re combining data from the European Environmental Agency with the flight-specific information we get from airlines and other providers such as aircraft type, trip distance and the number of seats in each seating class. To learn more on how we estimate emissions, visit our Help Center.
It’s critical that people can find consistent and accurate carbon emissions estimates no matter where they want to research or book their trip. That’s why we recently joined the Travalyst coalition, where we’ll help develop an open model for calculating carbon emissions from air travel and promote standardization across the travel industry using this framework.
This update to Google Flights is just one of the many ways we’re helping people make sustainable choices in their everyday lives. Read the latest in this post from Sundar Pichai.
While travel restrictions continue to vary across the globe, people are still dreaming of places to visit and things to do. Searches for “activities near me” have grown over the past 12 months, with specific queries like “ziplining” growing by 280% and “aquariums” by 115% globally. In response to this increasing interest, and to support the travel industry’s recovery, we’re introducing new ways to discover attractions, tours and activities on Search.
Now, when people search on Google for attractions like the Tokyo Tower or the Statue of Liberty, they’ll see not just general information about the point of interest, but also booking links for basic admission and other ticket options where available. In the months ahead, we’ll also begin showing information and booking links for experiences in a destination, like wine tasting in Paris or bike tours in California.
Select ‘Tickets’ to see ticketing options available from partner websites.
There are a variety of partners that we’re working with, including online travel agencies and technology providers, to make this information available on Search. If you operate any attractions, tours or activities and want to participate, learn more in the Help Center.
Our goal is to help people find and compare all the best travel options, which is why partners can promote their ticket booking links at zero cost — similar to the free hotel booking links introduced earlier this year.
While it’s still early days, we’ve found that free hotel booking links result in increased engagement for both small and large partners. Hotels working with the booking engine WebHotelier saw more than $4.7M in additional revenue from free booking links this summer. With more than 6,000 active hotels, WebHotelier shared that they were "pleasantly surprised to receive reservations right from Google at no additional cost." This is one of the ways Google can support your business during recovery.
We’re also introducing a new ad format for things to do that will help advertisers drive additional revenue and bookings as recovery continues. With more details like pricing, images and reviews, these new ads on Search will help partners stand out and expand their reach even further. Read more about how to get started in our Help Center.
Ads to promote discovery of things to do and drive bookings.
It’s more important than ever to get the right insights, education and best practices you need as the travel landscape continues to evolve. In July, our team launched Travel Insights with Google in the U.S. to share Google’s travel demand insights with the world. And tomorrow — Thursday, September 23 — we’ll host a webinar to share tips and tricks for using Travel Insights with Google to help you better understand evolving travel demand.
Across our new product updates and ongoing feature enhancements, we look forward to partnering closely on the travel recovery effort and preparing for the road ahead.
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to booking travel: price, health and safety, environmental impact and more. Last year, we shared travel tools to help you find health and safety information. Now we want to make it easier for you to find sustainable options while traveling — no matter what you’re doing or where you’re going.
To make that happen, we’ve created a new team of engineers, designers and researchers focused solely on travel sustainability. Already, this team is working to highlight sustainable options within our travel tools that people use every day.
Beginning this week, when you search for hotels on Google, you’ll see information about their sustainability efforts. Hotels that are certified for meeting high standards of sustainability from certain independent organizations, like Green Key or EarthCheck, will have an eco-certified badge next to their name. Want to dive into a hotel’s specific sustainability practices? Click on the “About” tab to see a list of what they’re doing — from waste reduction efforts and sustainably sourced materials to energy efficiency and water conservation measures.
We’re working with hotels around the world, including independent hotels and chains such as Hilton and Accor, to gather this information and make it easily accessible. If you’re a hotel owner with eco-certifications or sustainability practices you want to share with travelers, simply sign in to Google My Business to add the attributes to your Business Profile or contact Google My Business support.
Making travel more sustainable isn’t something we can do alone, which is why we’re also joining the global Travalyst coalition. As part of this group, we’ll help develop a standardized way to calculate carbon emissions for air travel. This free, open impact model will provide an industry framework to estimate emissions for a given flight and share that information with potential travelers. We’ll also contribute to the coalition’s sustainability standards for accommodations and work to align our new hotel features with these broader efforts.
While travel restrictions continue to vary across the globe, people are still dreaming of places to visit and things to do. Searches for “activities near me” have grown over the past 12 months, with specific queries like “ziplining” growing by 280% and “aquariums” by 115% globally. In response to this increasing interest, and to support the travel industry’s recovery, we’re introducing new ways to discover attractions, tours and activities on Search.
Now, when people search on Google for attractions like the Tokyo Tower or the Statue of Liberty, they’ll see not just general information about the point of interest, but also booking links for basic admission and other ticket options where available. In the months ahead, we’ll also begin showing information and booking links for experiences in a destination, like wine tasting in Paris or bike tours in California.
Select ‘Tickets’ to see ticketing options available from partner websites.
There are a variety of partners that we’re working with, including online travel agencies and technology providers, to make this information available on Search. If you operate any attractions, tours or activities and want to participate, learn more in the Help Center.
Our goal is to help people find and compare all the best travel options, which is why partners can promote their ticket booking links at zero cost — similar to the free hotel booking links introduced earlier this year.
While it’s still early days, we’ve found that free hotel booking links result in increased engagement for both small and large partners. Hotels working with the booking engine WebHotelier saw more than $4.7M in additional revenue from free booking links this summer. With more than 6,000 active hotels, WebHotelier shared that they were "pleasantly surprised to receive reservations right from Google at no additional cost." This is one of the ways Google can support your business during recovery.
We’re also introducing a new ad format for things to do that will help advertisers drive additional revenue and bookings as recovery continues. With more details like pricing, images and reviews, these new ads on Search will help partners stand out and expand their reach even further. Read more about how to get started in our Help Center.
Ads to promote discovery of things to do and drive bookings.
It’s more important than ever to get the right insights, education and best practices you need as the travel landscape continues to evolve. In July, our team launched Travel Insights with Google in the U.S. to share Google’s travel demand insights with the world. And tomorrow — Thursday, September 23 — we’ll host a webinar to share tips and tricks for using Travel Insights with Google to help you better understand evolving travel demand.
Across our new product updates and ongoing feature enhancements, we look forward to partnering closely on the travel recovery effort and preparing for the road ahead.
The end of the year is fast approaching, but the fun doesn’t have to end after the ball drops in Times Square. When you’re ready to kick off your travel plans for 2018 and take a weekend getaway, check out our trending destinations for travel inspiration, and our new features to feel confident you’re getting a good deal.
Google Flights can help you get out of town, even when you're on a budget. Using machine learning and statistical analysis of historical flights data, Flights displays tips under your search results, and you can scroll through them to figure out when it’s best to book flights. Say you were searching for flights to Honolulu, and flights from your destination were cheaper than usual. A tip would say that “prices are less than normal” and by how much to indicate you’d spotted a deal. Or, if prices tend to remain steady for the date and place you’re searching for, a tip would indicate the price “won’t drop further” based on our price prediction algorithms.
Similarly, when you search for a hotel on Google, a new tip will appear above results when room rates are higher than usual, or if the area is busier than usual due to a holiday, music festival, or even a business conference. So if you're planning a trip to San Francisco or Las Vegas, you can make sure you're avoiding dates when big conferences are scheduled and hotel prices tend to be high.
If you prefer to wait and see if prices drop, you can now get email price alerts by opting into Hotel Price Tracking on your phone—this will roll out on desktop in the new year.
Amidst celebrations with friends and family this December, start dreaming about your next winter getaway in the new year. We’ll help you get there.
