In May of 2019 Google announced a renovation to their travel-planning tool, Google Travel. The new look interface provides potential travelers with all the resources they need to plan and execute a trip to the destination of their choice in one place.
The Google Travel home screen shares a similarly clean look to other Google products with a search bar inviting you to search for “flights, hotels, and more.” If Philadelphia is the destination of a traveler’s choice, they can initiate their trip planning here.
The search “Philadelphia” loads a travel guide that helps a traveler “find things to see and do” in the city. Suggestions on things to do include the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Eastern State Penitentiary, along with links to their respective websites. Day plans are suggested for travelers only spending one day in the city, or multiple. Additionally, suggestions are made on the best time to visit Philadelphia, which according to Google, is the summer months.
Articles are linked to the travel guide such as “The Biggest Events and Festivals in Philadelphia,” written by visitphilly.com and “The 5 Best Cheesesteaks in Philadelphia,” written by usnews.com. Travel videos from YouTube can also be accessed here. Lastly, suggestions are made for lengthier trips and other places to explore with plans for a 4-day trip to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington and a link for travel to Gettysburg accessible from the guide.
From the Header you can access a more in depth list of “Things to Do” with more information on top attractions and a map showing their locations. A more in depth list of “Day Plans” can also be accessed from the header with suggestions on multiple destinations to visit and a map showing suggested routes between stops.
Apart from the travel planner, flight, hotel, and package information are all accessible from Google Travel. Flights from any destination to Philadelphia can be researched with filters available to find the right flight. Hotels can be researched with information on pricing, amenities, and proximity to top attractions in Philadelphia. Package information is also available for multiple travelers looking to book their flight and board together.
This one place stop of resources made available to in-market travelers could also soon benefit advertising strategy for brands of all kinds. Attractions, restaurants, and events may soon be able to advertise their product to a traveler in the Travel Planner tool. Airlines and Hotel Chains may soon be able to offer special rates and promotions through the Flight Planner and Hotel Planner tools, respectively.
Outside of the Google Travel tool itself, links between other Google platforms may also become available. Paid Search and YouTube strategies for a breadth of industries may be influenced by Google Travel data and Google Display Network retargeting links may be tied to travel inquiries made on Google Travel.
From the looks of the revamped design, Google appears primed to be a major player in the travel and tourism research space. Despite its very recent introduction, and currently organic results, there are many possibilities on how Google can allow advertisers to use this platform to get their product in front of target audiences in the near future.