Google is releasing a series of travel improvements that place it firmly in the vacation planning process and provide it with a great deal more knowledge into travel industry purchasing intent as the summer holidays get near.
First, the business stated on Wednesday that Google is updating its Search Generative Experience (SGE) to enable users to create vacation plans and itinerary suggestions using artificial intelligence.
The new feature, which is only accessible in English in the United States to users enrolled in Search Labs, the company’s program that allows users to test out early-stage Google Search experiences and provide feedback, pulls ideas from a variety of websites as well as information that users have submitted to Google about locations worldwide, including reviews, images, and other details.
Users requesting something like “plan me a three day trip to Philadelphia that’s all about history” will receive an example itinerary with restaurants and sites along with a breakdown of available flights and hotel rooms by time of day.
Currently, there are no ways to purchase activities or services on the moment; the itineraries are just that—itineraries. You can export your itinerary to Docs, Maps, or Gmail after you’re satisfied with it.
Google has not stated when or whether it plans to make this available to additional people. However, it highlights the ways in which the business is testing the places and ways in which it may use its AI engine. In the upcoming years, generative AI may play a bigger part in travel services, and although some are looking forward to it, others may be wary. However, this is already being actively pursued by businesses like Mindtrip and Layla, which give consumers access to AI assistants that are meant to assist with trip planning.
However, with this latest version, Google is not only taking on businesses like these but also understanding what kind of hunger its customers might have for such services and collecting data about trip purchasing intent (valuable for its wider ad business).
Additionally, Google said that it is simplifying the process of finding suggestion lists on Google Maps in a few U.S. and Canadian cities. Now, when you search for a city in Maps, lists of suggested destinations from publications like The Infatuation and other users will appear. A selection of the best, most popular, and undiscovered eateries in more than 40 US cities will also be shown.
In order to help you better organize your trip schedule or share your favorite locations with friends and family, the firm is also offering new tools to enable you to modify lists that you make. You have the option of arranging the locations in a list according to your chosen order or chronologically, much like an itinerary. You can also connect to stuff on your social media accounts.
