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

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

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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

Download Timeline

Data Source References
  1. Wikipedia Google Maps Data
  2. TechCrunch, Google Translate Now Has…, February 2016
  3. Netaffinity Google Hotel Ads, August 2019; Google ITA Acquisition Facts
  4. Wikipedia Google Flights; TechCrunch, Google Acquires Zagat…, September 2011
  5. Wikipedia Google Pay
  6. Wikipedia Google Trips
  7. TechCrunch, Google Unveils…, May 2016
  8. The New York Times, Google Home Helps You…, December 2016
  9. Search Engine Roundtable, Reserve With Google Expands, August 2018
  10. PhocusWire, Google Launches Touring Bird…, September 2018
  11. The Business Owner’s Manual to Google Local Guides, October 2018
  12. Google Maps’ new For You tab of personalized recommendations…, December 2018
  13. Google adds hotel booking, flight check-in to Google Assistant, January 2019
  14. HospitalityNet, Google launches hotel search site…, March 2019
  15. Google Travel, May 2019
  16. rezStream, Google hotel search site could rattle the OTAs, April 2019
  17. PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
  18. PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
  19. Yahoo! News, Alphabet Launches Waymo App…, December 2019
  20. 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
  1. Wikipedia Google Maps Data
  2. TechCrunch, Google Translate Now Has…, February 2016
  3. Netaffinity Google Hotel Ads, August 2019; Google ITA Acquisition Facts
  4. Wikipedia Google Flights; TechCrunch, Google Acquires Zagat…, September 2011
  5. Wikipedia Google Pay
  6. Wikipedia Google Trips
  7. TechCrunch, Google Unveils…, May 2016
  8. The New York Times, Google Home Helps You…, December 2016
  9. Search Engine Roundtable, Reserve With Google Expands, August 2018
  10. PhocusWire, Google Launches Touring Bird…, September 2018
  11. The Business Owner’s Manual to Google Local Guides, October 2018
  12. Google Maps’ new For You tab of personalized recommendations…, December 2018
  13. Google adds hotel booking, flight check-in to Google Assistant, January 2019
  14. HospitalityNet, Google launches hotel search site…, March 2019
  15. Google Travel, May 2019
  16. rezStream, Google hotel search site could rattle the OTAs, April 2019
  17. PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
  18. PhocusWire, Google’s playbook to become a Super App…, December 2019
  19. Yahoo! News, Alphabet Launches Waymo App…, December 2019
  20. Arival Industry News, “Google Takes Soft Step into Tour, Activity Booking,” April 2020