Over the past two decades, Google has steadily marched into the realm of travel. Over just the past few years, Google has more deliberately ramped-up its efforts — it’s now not only considered a bonafide player in travel, but for many businesses, it’s a disruptor.
To capture Google’s ongoing trek into the business of travel, Redeam has created a visual timeline of Google’s advances. You can see its progress from launching Maps and Google Earth all the way to its launch of a “travel hub” that will continue to compete with OTAs. Google has already expressed that it wants to create more seamless user experiences, and by centralizing many components of the travel research and booking process into one central location that users can access directly from any desktop or mobile Google experience, they have enabled just that.
Redeam invites you to explore this Google Travel Timeline here or download a free PDF copy of this timeline now.
2004
Google Earth & Google Maps launch1
2011
Hotel Finder launches, helping Google users locate and book hotels; Acquisition of ITA Software, which parses airline flight information3
2013
Google Wallet launches (eventually becomes Google Pay in 2018) enabling on-the-go purchases through mobile devices5
2006
Google Translate launches2
2011
Google Flights launches, enabling users to book airline tickets; Restaurant review site Zagat acquired4
2016
Google Trips mobile app launches (merges into Google Travel August 2019)6
2016
Google Assistant, an AI-powered mobile personal assistant with voice command, launches7
2018 – 2019
Reserve with Google, Google’s local activities booking tool, begins expanding into travel by making tours and activities bookable9
2018
Google launches Local Guides for an improved travel review experience11
2016
Smart speaker, Google Home, with travel-friendly commands unveiled8
2018
Touring Bird is unveiled in September 2018 (officially merges into Google Travel in October 2019)10
2018
New “For You” feature of Google Maps on mobile devices offers personalized, relevant recommendations of local businesses within a selected area12
JANUARY 2019
Flight check-in and hotel booking abilities added to Google Assistant13
MAY 2019
By consolidating travel functionality of “Trips, Flights, Explore {from Touring Bird},
Hotels, and Packages” into one site, The Google Travel Hub is born15
AUGUST 2019
Location history timeline allowing mobile users to share favorite places and recommendations with friends and family launches; Maps integrates vacation listings17
MARCH 2019
Dedicated search site for hotel booking availability by destination launches14
MAY – DECEMBER 2019
OTA organic visibility in Google searches noticeably reduced16
NOVEMBER 2019
New built-in translation enables Google Maps to speak names and places in the local language; New social feature allows users to follow Google Local Guides18
DECEMBER 2019
Alphabet (Google’s parent company) launches its own ride-hailing app; will compete against Uber19
APRIL 2020
Google quietly announces rolling Reserve with Google into their travel group (a potential signal of longer-term objectives for tours and attractions)19
Data Source References
- Wikipedia Google Maps Data
- TechCrunch, Google Translate Now Has…, February 2016
- Netaffinity Google Hotel Ads, August 2019; Google ITA Acquisition Facts
- Wikipedia Google Flights; TechCrunch, Google Acquires Zagat…, September 2011
- Wikipedia Google Pay
- Wikipedia Google Trips
- TechCrunch, Google Unveils…, May 2016
- The New York Times, Google Home Helps You…, December 2016
- Search Engine Roundtable, Reserve With Google Expands, August 2018
- PhocusWire, Google Launches Touring Bird…, September 2018
- The Business Owner’s Manual to Google Local Guides, October 2018
- Google Maps’ new For You tab of personalized recommendations…, December 2018
- Google adds hotel booking, flight check-in to Google Assistant, January 2019
- HospitalityNet, Google launches hotel search site…, March 2019
- Google Travel, May 2019
- rezStream, Google hotel search site could rattle the OTAs, April 2019
- PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
- PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
- Yahoo! News, Alphabet Launches Waymo App…, December 2019
- Arival Industry News, “Google Takes Soft Step into Tour, Activity Booking,” April 2020
A TIMELINE OF GOOGLE’S ADVANCES IN TRAVEL
Over the past two decades, Google has steadily marched into the realm of travel. Over just the past few years, Google has more deliberately ramped-up its efforts — it’s now not only considered a bonafide player in travel, but for many businesses, it’s a disruptor.
To capture Google’s ongoing trek into the business of travel, Redeam has created a visual timeline of Google’s advances. You can see its progress from launching Maps and Google Earth all the way to its launch of a “travel hub” that will continue to compete with OTAs. Google has already expressed that it wants to create more seamless user experiences, and by centralizing many components of the travel research and booking process into one central location that users can access directly from any desktop or mobile Google experience, they have enabled just that.
Redeam invites you to explore this Google Travel Timeline here or download a free PDF copy of this timeline now.
2004
Google Earth & Google Maps launch1
2006
Google Translate launches2
2011
Hotel Finder launches, helping Google users locate and book hotels; Acquisition of ITA Software, which parses airline flight information3
Download Timeline
2011
Google Flights launches, enabling users to book airline tickets; Restaurant review site Zagat acquired4
2013
Google Wallet launches (eventually becomes Google Pay in 2018) enabling on-the-go purchases through mobile devices5
2016
Google Trips mobile app launches (merges into Google Travel August 2019)6
2016
Google Assistant, an AI-powered mobile personal assistant with voice command, launches7
2016
Smart speaker, Google Home, with travel-friendly commands unveiled8
2018 – 2019
Reserve with Google, Google’s local activities booking tool, begins expanding into travel by making tours and activities bookable9
2018
Touring Bird is unveiled in September 2018 (officially merges into Google Travel in October 2019)10
2018
Google launches Local Guides for an improved travel review experience11
2018
New “For You” feature of Google Maps on mobile devices offers personalized, relevant recommendations of local businesses within a selected area12
JANUARY 2019
Flight check-in and hotel booking abilities added to Google Assistant13
MARCH 2019
Dedicated search site for hotel booking availability by destination launches14
MAY 2019
By consolidating travel functionality of “Trips, Flights, Explore {from Touring Bird}, Hotels, and Packages” into one site, The Google Travel Hub is born15
MAY – DECEMBER 2019
OTA organic visibility in Google searches noticeably reduced16
AUGUST 2019
Location history timeline allowing mobile users to share favorite places and recommendations with friends and family launches; Maps integrates vacation listings17
NOVEMBER 2019
New built-in translation enables Google Maps to speak names and places in the local language; New social feature allows users to follow Google Local Guides18
APRIL 2020
Google quietly announces rolling Reserve with Google into their travel group (a potential signal of longer-term objectives for tours and attractions)20
Download Timeline
Data Source References
- Wikipedia Google Maps Data
- TechCrunch, Google Translate Now Has…, February 2016
- Netaffinity Google Hotel Ads, August 2019; Google ITA Acquisition Facts
- Wikipedia Google Flights; TechCrunch, Google Acquires Zagat…, September 2011
- Wikipedia Google Pay
- Wikipedia Google Trips
- TechCrunch, Google Unveils…, May 2016
- The New York Times, Google Home Helps You…, December 2016
- Search Engine Roundtable, Reserve With Google Expands, August 2018
- PhocusWire, Google Launches Touring Bird…, September 2018
- The Business Owner’s Manual to Google Local Guides, October 2018
- Google Maps’ new For You tab of personalized recommendations…, December 2018
- Google adds hotel booking, flight check-in to Google Assistant, January 2019
- HospitalityNet, Google launches hotel search site…, March 2019
- Google Travel, May 2019
- rezStream, Google hotel search site could rattle the OTAs, April 2019
- PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
- PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
- Yahoo! News, Alphabet Launches Waymo App…, December 2019
- Arival Industry News, “Google Takes Soft Step into Tour, Activity Booking,” April 2020