Google launches insights tools for travel industry

Google on 21^st December announced the launch of a dedicated website that provides demand trends to travel sector participants including hotels, travel startup, and booking agents. Called Travel Insights with Google, the website is aimed at helping the sector better understand the pent-up demand and leverage insights from key data led tools for businesses to position themselves for recovery.

These trends will be based on user search data on the tech company's search engine. 'Destination Insights' tool will give a clear picture of the top sources of demand for a destination, and the destinations within countries that travellers are most interested in visiting. Using this tool the companies in the sector will be able to map out a possible resumption of travel on specific routes and make choices about where to communicate with potential future travellers.Google said that the Hotel Insights tool is designed to help properties of all sizes, especially small and independent hotels, understand where travel demand for their geography may be coming from, and get tools, advice and tips for making their businesses stand out online.

Google, for instance, said that in the month of November, the growth in search interest for domestic travel to cities such as Shirdi, Chandigarh, and Bagdogra was strong. In the same period, travellers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Gujarat top the searches for accommodation options. The tool also provides granular insights into travel demand for single geographies split by air travel demand and demand for accommodation.

The website also hosts the Travel Analytics Center. Available to Google’s commercial partners in the travel sector, this will enable these organizations to combine their own Google account data with broader Google demand data and insights to give a clearer picture of how to manage their operations and find opportunities to reach potential visitors.The pandemic has had a direct, immediate and continuing impact on the travel industry. But it is also one of the industries that has been at the forefront of digitisation. Our Travel Insights with Google tool recognizes that, and amidst this volatility, provides players real-time, actionable analysis of travel intention and sentiment, domestically and from overseas, for better and more agile decision making. We hope that the utility of this tool will also accelerate the digitisation of those in the industry that have been operating offline as going online is now an essential requirement for recovery," said Roma Datta Chobey, director - travel, Google India.

The website will also be a one-stop destination for other Google resources, including skills training courses through Grow with Google, Digital Garage and Google for Small Business, and tourism Acceleration Programme with the UN World Tourism Organization.