Google is making it free for travel companies to appear in hotel booking links on google.com/travel.
If you’re wondering when you’ll be able to travel again, you’re not the only one. Most people around the world have been in full or partial lockdowns, or other restrictions, and this hasn’t been great for the travel industry.
To bring a little optimism to the situation, Google wants to help travel companies to share infomation as easily as possible when the time comes. After noticing the value that hotel booking links will have for companies in the next few months, the search giant is now making the feature available for free.
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With the feature, hotels and travel companies from around the world will be able to appear in hotel booking links on google.com/travel for free – giving travellers “full access to a wider range of hotel prices” and “a more comprehensive set of options as they research their trip and ultimately decide where to book.”
Free booking links will allow hotels and travel companies to reach more people organically, and through their existing Hotel Ads campaigns. As Richard Holden, Google’s Vice President of Product Management for Travel explains, “all partner types — from individual hotels to online travel agents — benefit from free booking links through increased booking traffic and user engagement.”
Any Partners that are already working with the Hotel Prices API or Hotel Ads won’t need to do anything to appear in free booking links, and all hotels and travel companies are able to join using their Hotel Center account.
Google promises improvements with the next few months, and tools that will give hotels the ability to add their rates and availability directly.