Google is going to show hotel search listings for free below the paid results on its official travel page. For the past year, the pandemic has changed everything, and that situation affected the travel industry a lot.
Google is making a huge move in the travel industry
Now, Google seems determined to change “everything” in this industry as well, but with a quite different approach. The company will compete with Booking and Expedia who control the hotel booking sector in Europe, which receives 50% of the world’s tourists.
Hotel search listings will be shown for free
By displaying the ads of the agencies in the search engine, and hotel booking links in its booking service Google Travel, the company aims to build a bridge between different customers.
Until now, hotel booking links on google.com/travel were paid ads, ordered on the basis of the traditional advertiser bidding model.
Now, this change is a gift for hotel chains, which would simultaneously gain direct sales and reduce their dependence on large tourism portals.
Google seeks to hold a position in a market that is expected to “explode” after the global pandemic ends.
“When travel does resume in earnest, it’s crucial that people can find the information they’re looking for and easily connect with travel companies online,” said Google officials. “With full access to a wider range of hotel prices, users will have a more comprehensive set of options as they research their trip and ultimately decide where to book,” they added.
