Google has almost unlimited options when it comes to its future travel strategy. In addition to its huge search traffic and expansive advertising network, Google also possesses an impressive arsenal of technologies that promise not only to change how consumers research and book travel, but how they will interact with their destination once they arrive.
Will Google Labs Cook Up Some Revolutionary New Travel Tools?
Given Google’s massive traffic and advertising reach, it is no wonder Kayak CEO Steve Hafner was recently quoted in Dennis Schaal’s blog, “Google is by far the biggest source of travel information for consumers.” This statement got a lot of people’s attention. Dennis’ follow-up post included a quote from Google’s managing director of travel, Rob Torres, stating “We are not going to copycat. We will only do something if we can do it 10 times better than what’s happening today.” I’m not sure if that helped to calm the fears or feed the terror…
So let’s put this in perspective. In Angry Online Travelers Consider Abandoning The Web, Forrester’s Henry Harteveldt blogged “travelers are so angry with poor online travel experiences they’re approaching a breaking point.” A clearly defined need exists.
Google’s mission statement is: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Organizing travel information aligns perfectly with Google’s mission. continue reading →
