Google's launching a slew of vacation planning tools, attached to the Search engine, that users can rely on when planning out their next trip.
2021's going to be an active year for families, what with 2020 having been almost entirely spent in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccination programs finally gaining momentum across the world, countries are finally starting to open borders. People will be actively looking for some semblance of escape from what was collectively a horrendous time for everyone. This summer might just be a good time for a vacation, with the proper safety precautions and social distancing measurements, of course. Let us remind ourselves that while the situation may be slowly winding down in places, we're not out of the woods yet, and precaution is highly important.
Having said that, social distancing or not, Google's new line of tools are aiming to fill the niche of tourism planning. With these open-access new features, you can plan an entire trip out in the time it takes you to Google Search your favorite picks for destinations. Be it a road trip, or a destination visit, there's a lot that goes into planning ahead, and the Search engine will do its best to facilitate such action. So, with that in mind, let's have a look at the features Google has planned out.
When looking up travel or location related information, Google will highlight whether or not the area has had any recent or current COVID related alerts. The alert will also inform you of more specific details, highlighting government travel advisory guidelines if any are issued, and whether or not the locations at hand require quarantining upon arrival. For the former, Google will also link the respective government's guidelines from more official sources, allowing users to examine and inquire after them as they please. It's a good way of further emphasizing upon the need of COVID situational awareness, even when travelling, that the general populace can now more easily draw from.
Google's also introducing a new Explore tab to its vanilla Search interface. Previously integrated into the Flights tab, Explore has been repurposed so as to provide a dedicated feature built exclusively for travel related information. The new tab is currently projected to highlight information such as in-going flights, popular hotels, sites of attraction, and even the more popular visiting times for certain places. No need to worry about accidentally wandering into off-season in your vacationing spot, the Google feature will be sure to inform you beforehand.
Google's also edited its Maps feature, adding a few tweaks catering towards people looking to go on a road trip. Once your route has been set, Maps will automatically highlight places of interest such as restaurants, hotels, and camping sites that may entice people on long stretches of driving. While this feature cannot be currently accessed via mobile, requiring a desktop, the results and locations can easily be forwarded to mobile devices later for use.
Read next: Google and its parent company Alphabet have earned three times more than they did last year in the first quarter
2021's going to be an active year for families, what with 2020 having been almost entirely spent in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With vaccination programs finally gaining momentum across the world, countries are finally starting to open borders. People will be actively looking for some semblance of escape from what was collectively a horrendous time for everyone. This summer might just be a good time for a vacation, with the proper safety precautions and social distancing measurements, of course. Let us remind ourselves that while the situation may be slowly winding down in places, we're not out of the woods yet, and precaution is highly important.
Having said that, social distancing or not, Google's new line of tools are aiming to fill the niche of tourism planning. With these open-access new features, you can plan an entire trip out in the time it takes you to Google Search your favorite picks for destinations. Be it a road trip, or a destination visit, there's a lot that goes into planning ahead, and the Search engine will do its best to facilitate such action. So, with that in mind, let's have a look at the features Google has planned out.
When looking up travel or location related information, Google will highlight whether or not the area has had any recent or current COVID related alerts. The alert will also inform you of more specific details, highlighting government travel advisory guidelines if any are issued, and whether or not the locations at hand require quarantining upon arrival. For the former, Google will also link the respective government's guidelines from more official sources, allowing users to examine and inquire after them as they please. It's a good way of further emphasizing upon the need of COVID situational awareness, even when travelling, that the general populace can now more easily draw from.
Google's also introducing a new Explore tab to its vanilla Search interface. Previously integrated into the Flights tab, Explore has been repurposed so as to provide a dedicated feature built exclusively for travel related information. The new tab is currently projected to highlight information such as in-going flights, popular hotels, sites of attraction, and even the more popular visiting times for certain places. No need to worry about accidentally wandering into off-season in your vacationing spot, the Google feature will be sure to inform you beforehand.
Google's also edited its Maps feature, adding a few tweaks catering towards people looking to go on a road trip. Once your route has been set, Maps will automatically highlight places of interest such as restaurants, hotels, and camping sites that may entice people on long stretches of driving. While this feature cannot be currently accessed via mobile, requiring a desktop, the results and locations can easily be forwarded to mobile devices later for use.
Read next: Google and its parent company Alphabet have earned three times more than they did last year in the first quarter
