Make the eco-friendly choice, the easy choice with updates you may have missed this year from Maps, Flights, Search and Pixel.
In a typical month, Google sends hundreds of millions of website visits and phone calls to hotels around the world.
As a hotelier, you have an opportunity to ensure that potential customers on Google see you in the best light which will, in turn, help grow your business and get you free direct bookings. Here are 3 steps to help you optimize your presence on Google through the holiday season, and beyond.
Free booking links provide a simple way for you to get more direct traffic across Google properties, without any charge from us. To participate, you’ll need to connect your rates with Google.
The best way to share your rates and keep them up-to-date is through a feed integration – either API or a third-party connectivity provider. If you don’t have a connectivity partner or prefer not to use one, we recently added the ability to share your rates via the new hotel rate editor on your Google Business Profile.
You can do the following to keep your hotel’s details current and ensure that customers view the most recent information about your hotel:
All these tools are part of our commitment to invest in features that help hotel partners tap into demand as the travel landscape continues to evolve. If you’re interested in driving free traffic to your website, learn how to get started or register for a Travel on Air webinar coming up on December 15. To stay up-to-date on our developments in this area, sign up for our travel partners newsletter.
In a typical month, Google sends hundreds of millions of website visits and phone calls to hotels around the world.
As a hotelier, you have an opportunity to ensure that potential customers on Google see you in the best light which will, in turn, help grow your business and get you free direct bookings. Here are 3 steps to help you optimize your presence on Google through the holiday season, and beyond.
Free booking links provide a simple way for you to get more direct traffic across Google properties, without any charge from us. To participate, you’ll need to connect your rates with Google.
The best way to share your rates and keep them up-to-date is through a feed integration – either API or a third-party connectivity provider. If you don’t have a connectivity partner or prefer not to use one, we recently added the ability to share your rates via the new hotel rate editor on your Google Business Profile.
You can do the following to keep your hotel’s details current and ensure that customers view the most recent information about your hotel:
All these tools are part of our commitment to invest in features that help hotel partners tap into demand as the travel landscape continues to evolve. If you’re interested in driving free traffic to your website, learn how to get started or register for a Travel on Air webinar coming up on December 15. To stay up-to-date on our developments in this area, sign up for our travel partners newsletter.
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.
Holiday travel is just around the corner, and for many people, affordability is top of mind. From April to August this year, searches for “cheapest airline tickets” surged more than 240% in the U.S. During this same period, the top-searched questions related to air travel included “when is the best time to book a flight?” and “how to find cheap flights?”.
To answer these questions and more, the Google Flights team analyzed five years’ worth of historical airfare data to look for any reliable patterns in the data
Historically, it’s been cheaper to fly in the middle of the week than on the weekend — especially Sundays. On average, flights that depart on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday have been 12% cheaper than weekend departures. If you exclude international destinations, the potential savings jump even higher to 20%.
Willingness to take a layover is one of your best bets to save money when you fly. On average, nonstop fares have been 20% higher than a flight with stops.
There isn’t much value in purchasing your tickets on a certain day of the week — sorry, Tuesday! If you shop for flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays instead of Saturdays or Sundays, prices have only been 1.9% cheaper on average over the past five years. So if your trip is just a couple of weeks away, don’t wait for Tuesday to roll around — book your flight now in case the price goes up.
For U.S. domestic flights, prices have usually been their lowest 21-60 days out, with average prices bottoming out 44 days before departure. But keep in mind that these patterns may not hold true for your specific route, so planning and booking early is usually a good idea (this also applies to the other scenarios listed below).
Best time to book flights for Thanksgiving or Christmas. For domestic Thanksgiving travel, you’ll want to plan a bit further ahead. In the past, the lowest prices have usually been found 36-74 days before departure, hitting their lowest point 52 days out.
For domestic trips around Christmas, the lowest average prices have been 22 days before departure, but that may be cutting it close. Prices have tended to drop anywhere between 20 and 88 days before departure.
Best time to buy spring break flights. Ready for some fun after the winter doldrums? For domestic trips beginning in March or April, prices have typically been lowest 23-59 days before departure, and 38 days out is when they’ve hit their low point.
Best time to book flights for summer vacation. School’s out and summer’s in. For domestic trips beginning in July or August, prices have been lower 14-44 days before departure, and the lowest average prices are usually 21 days out.
Best time to book a flight from the U.S. to Europe. For trips to Europe from the U.S., prior trends suggest you’ll want to book on the earlier side. The best deals were usually found 129 days before departure and prices tend to be lower anywhere between 50 and 179 days out.
Best time to book flights from the U.S. to Mexico or the Caribbean. In prior years, average airfares from the U.S. to Mexico or the Caribbean have been lowest between 37 and 87 days before departure, and 59 days out is when they’ve hit their lowest point.
See if today’s prices are low, typical or high. Search for your origin and destination and you’ll see price insights to let you know whether the current price is a good deal, compared to prices we’ve cataloged over the past 12 months for similar flights. On select searches, we’ll also let you know if prices are predicted to change significantly in the future.
Turn on price tracking so you don’t miss out. Toggle on tracking for your destination and dates of travel, and we’ll email you if prices change substantially. Or, if you’re more flexible on when to travel, you can turn on tracking for ‘Any dates’ to get notified of price drops for flights departing in the next 3 to 6 months.
Use the calendar view, date grid and price graph to see how fares change. The calendar view and date grid let you see how much you can save if you’re flexible on your departure and return dates. The price graph shows you what prices look like for an ‘X day’ long trip, depending on the departure date.
I once read that the happiest part of traveling is the planning, and I couldn’t agree more. Before I board a plane, I spend hours researching and documenting the what, where and how of my vacation. Over the past two years I’ve traveled far less than usual, but this year my husband and I decided to go to Italy. It was our first time there, and one of our biggest trips since COVID hit, so I took prepping to a new level. Here’s how I, a self-proclaimed travel nerd, used Google tools to get ready for my getaway.
About a month before our trip, I realized we’d done it all wrong. We weren’t going to have enough time to go hiking, and we were adding unnecessary hours of driving — and with increasing gas prices, that would end up costing way too much. Telling your travel partner you want to start over mere weeks before your trip is tough, and I knew I needed to really sell it…so I made a Google Slides presentation.
One of the many slides I used to convince my husband we needed to replan our trip.
I’ve used Slides for vacation planning in the past, too — and not just to blow everything up and start over. I’ve also presented what I’ve learned about various travel destinations we’re considering to make a decision. This helps me think clearly about what I want out of a vacation; it feels a bit like I’m vision-boarding the potential trip. And apparently it’s a great selling point, because my husband was completely on board by the end of the presentation.
2. Go off the beaten path with Google Maps.
I often find myself aimlessly “wandering” around Google Maps and Street View, looking for unusually shaped peninsulas or clicking into 360-degree photos that seem impossible to have captured. It’s a great way to cure wanderlust from home, but it’s also an effective way to plan travel. This was how I found a few of our stops in Italy.
A little Google Maps “wandering” led me to the town of Sirmione. It caught my eye because it’s basically an island in Italy’s Lake Garda: A narrow road connects Sirmione to the mainland; it’s so tiny that most people park on one side and walk over to the rest of the city, going by foot or golf cart.
An aerial shot of Sirmione taken by my husband.
It’s a place I’ve never heard of, and likely never would have gone.
This is also how we found one of our favorites hikes. The Dolomites are massive — choosing where to visit was overwhelming. But my husband noticed an interesting looking area on Google Earth called Seceda (the fact that it was labeled “Seceda famous view” on Google Maps didn’t hurt our interest either). That was enough for us to add it to our itinerary, and I couldn’t be happier that we did — see for yourself.
3. Take organization to another level with Google Sheets.
Using Google Sheets to organize various parts of a trip is admittedly very obvious compared to my first two tips, but here’s how I like to set things up: I have three pages in a Sheet file — one that functions as a list of things to do in each location, one that lists all of our reservation information and a last tab to collect expenses as we accumulate them while planning and during the course of the trip.
I like to think of everything listed on this first tab as something potentially worth checking out versus something that’s set in stone. This way, we don’t have to waste time while there looking things up — now if we’re ever wondering “what should we do here?” we can turn to the list for quick, easy access to already researched options.
4. Hit the Search bar…and then the Save button.
I’ve always found it easy to find amazing restaurants and shops when I want to travel, but not quite as simple to grasp what the best outdoor areas are — I want to find the best spot for a sunset, or a viewpoint for an afternoon walk. I’ve found more than a few breathtaking sights by heading to Search and simply entering the name of the city I’m visiting. On the right-hand side, there’s a Knowledge Panel about the location with information like the weather, elevation and local time. Below this is a section that says “Plan a trip,” and underneath that a camera icon next to the words “Things to do.”
And that is how I found arguably the cutest landmark in existence, this “Kiss…Please” sign in Sirmione.
I saved the location straight from this panel so it automatically saved to google.com/travel, and we easily found it when we stopped in the city.
We had to!
5. Stay on budget with a bunch of Google tools.
Traveling is expensive, and while this was definitely a trip we planned and saved for, we were very conscious of not exceeding our budget. I used three Google tools to help us do that. First up, Google Flights. Ahead of buying our flights, I created various alerts to airports in Italy to find the best price and timing. (I also used this feature to price hotels.) Then, while we were there, we used Google Maps’ toll feature, so we could avoid more expensive routes. And of course, there’s the aforementioned Google Sheets tab to collect expenses.
All of these things helped me plan (and thoroughly enjoy planning) my trip — and obviously enjoy the trip itself. Whenever you take your next vacation, hopefully these tips are just as useful for you.
I once read that the happiest part of traveling is the planning, and I couldn’t agree more. Before I board a plane, I spend hours researching and documenting the what, where and how of my vacation. Over the past two years I’ve traveled far less than usual, but this year my husband and I decided to go to Italy. It was our first time there, and one of our biggest trips since COVID hit, so I took prepping to a new level. Here’s how I, a self-proclaimed travel nerd, used Google tools to get ready for my getaway.
About a month before our trip, I realized we’d done it all wrong. We weren’t going to have enough time to go hiking, and we were adding unnecessary hours of driving — and with increasing gas prices, that would end up costing way too much. Telling your travel partner you want to start over mere weeks before your trip is tough, and I knew I needed to really sell it…so I made a Google Slides presentation.
One of the many slides I used to convince my husband we needed to replan our trip.
I’ve used Slides for vacation planning in the past, too — and not just to blow everything up and start over. I’ve also presented what I’ve learned about various travel destinations we’re considering to make a decision. This helps me think clearly about what I want out of a vacation; it feels a bit like I’m vision-boarding the potential trip. And apparently it’s a great selling point, because my husband was completely on board by the end of the presentation.
2. Go off the beaten path with Google Maps.
I often find myself aimlessly “wandering” around Google Maps and Street View, looking for unusually shaped peninsulas or clicking into 360-degree photos that seem impossible to have captured. It’s a great way to cure wanderlust from home, but it’s also an effective way to plan travel. This was how I found a few of our stops in Italy.
A little Google Maps “wandering” led me to the town of Sirmione. It caught my eye because it’s basically an island in Italy’s Lake Garda: A narrow road connects Sirmione to the mainland; it’s so tiny that most people park on one side and walk over to the rest of the city, going by foot or golf cart.
An aerial shot of Sirmione taken by my husband.
It’s a place I’ve never heard of, and likely never would have gone.
This is also how we found one of our favorites hikes. The Dolomites are massive — choosing where to visit was overwhelming. But my husband noticed an interesting looking area on Google Earth called Seceda (the fact that it was labeled “Seceda famous view” on Google Maps didn’t hurt our interest either). That was enough for us to add it to our itinerary, and I couldn’t be happier that we did — see for yourself.
3. Take organization to another level with Google Sheets.
Using Google Sheets to organize various parts of a trip is admittedly very obvious compared to my first two tips, but here’s how I like to set things up: I have three pages in a Sheet file — one that functions as a list of things to do in each location, one that lists all of our reservation information and a last tab to collect expenses as we accumulate them while planning and during the course of the trip.
I like to think of everything listed on this first tab as something potentially worth checking out versus something that’s set in stone. This way, we don’t have to waste time while there looking things up — now if we’re ever wondering “what should we do here?” we can turn to the list for quick, easy access to already researched options.
4. Hit the Search bar…and then the Save button.
I’ve always found it easy to find amazing restaurants and shops when I want to travel, but not quite as simple to grasp what the best outdoor areas are — I want to find the best spot for a sunset, or a viewpoint for an afternoon walk. I’ve found more than a few breathtaking sights by heading to Search and simply entering the name of the city I’m visiting. On the right-hand side, there’s a Knowledge Panel about the location with information like the weather, elevation and local time. Below this is a section that says “Plan a trip,” and underneath that a camera icon next to the words “Things to do.”
And that is how I found arguably the cutest landmark in existence, this “Kiss…Please” sign in Sirmione.
I saved the location straight from this panel so it automatically saved to google.com/travel, and we easily found it when we stopped in the city.
We had to!
5. Stay on budget with a bunch of Google tools.
Traveling is expensive, and while this was definitely a trip we planned and saved for, we were very conscious of not exceeding our budget. I used three Google tools to help us do that. First up, Google Flights. Ahead of buying our flights, I created various alerts to airports in Italy to find the best price and timing. (I also used this feature to price hotels.) Then, while we were there, we used Google Maps’ toll feature, so we could avoid more expensive routes. And of course, there’s the aforementioned Google Sheets tab to collect expenses.
All of these things helped me plan (and thoroughly enjoy planning) my trip — and obviously enjoy the trip itself. Whenever you take your next vacation, hopefully these tips are just as useful for you.
Summer 2022 is nearly here, and vacationing is on many minds. But it’s not as easy as deciding you're ready to hit the road — or sky. We took a look at some Google Search and Flight trends and came up with a few questions you can ask yourself as you start planning to go…somewhere, anywhere besides your home. And to help you answer those questions, we’ve got plenty of travel-related Google trends that can guide you through settling on your next journey.
So far in 2022, search interest in “girls trip destinations” is up 300% and “good bachelor party ideas” is up 200%, so group trips are certainly on our minds. Expecting parents would be wise to take one last couples trip — in fact, in the U.S., search interest in “best babymoon destinations usa” increased 170% in the first four months of 2022. And there’s nothing wrong with going solo; look no further than the 600% spike in “singles cruises” from January through April 2022.
Once you’ve settled on who you want to travel with, the real fun can start and you can decide what kind of trip this will be. Well…is this a trip, or a vacation? Do you want to rest up, or rev up? Are you treating yourself or trying new adventures? Or maybe a little of all the above!
According to Google Trends, lots of people are looking to experience the outdoors: The top-searched summer attractions in the U.S. include Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, as well as Lake Tahoe and the Grand Canyon.
Glamping is also a popular option for those who want to get outside without totally roughing it (that’s glamorous camping, for the uninitiated). From January 2019 to April 2022, search interest in “glamping near me” spiked more than 500%. Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Tennessee are the most-searched destinations for glamping.
Whatever kind of traveler you are (or plan to become this summer!), landing on the right destination is key. And if you’re excited about an international adventure, you’re in great company! Search interest in “passport appointments” increased 300% over the first four months of 2022, and Google Flights trends show that five of the top 20 destinations people in the U.S. are searching for are in Europe — London, Paris, Rome, Athens and Lisbon. Here’s a look at the complete list of the 20 top-searched summer destinations on Google Flights:
1) Orlando
2) Cancun
3) Las Vegas
4) London
5) New York
6) Los Angeles
7) Paris
8) Seattle
9) Honolulu
10) Denver
11) Rome
12) Miami
13) San Juan
14) Fort Lauderdale
15) Chicago
16) Boston
17) Athens
18) San Francisco
19) Lisbon
20) Portland
Looking to stay stateside? Domestic travel trends show people looking for flights to Orlando, Las Vegas, New York, L.A. and Seattle, among other great U.S. cities. So if you want to hit the trendy spots, you know where to go…and if you want to avoid the trendy spots, you know where not to go.
Traveling isn’t stress-free, and for anyone who’s already feeling overwhelmed by the options, there’s nothing wrong with indulging in a staycation. In fact, looking at January through April 2022, “luxury hotels near me” has over two times the search interest it had during the same period in 2019. No passport required.