Google has unveiled new tools that the search giant says are designed to help travellers better plan their trips, including for itinerary curation and lodging.

The company announced that it was rolling out new features for its Maps, Lens and Gemini, which will enable users to build itineraries with the help of artificial intelligence and also track hotel prices.

AI overviews in Google's search window already help users build a day-by-day itinerary with generative AI, but the company on Thursday rolled out an expansion to the tool. Now, users can build itineraries for regions or countries aside from just major cities, like New York.

"You're going to get a structured day-by-day itinerary that includes daily suggestions for sightseeing and dining, and it's giving you a whole bunch of resources to really go out and explore," said spokesperson Craig Ewer at an event previewing the new tools.

For example, searching "weeklong trip to Tuscany" will generate a seven-day itinerary to the region. The suggestions generated for this search included spending the first day of a Tuscany vacation in Florence, with suggestions to visit the Uffizi Galleries, Ponte Vecchio and Galleria dell'Accademia. It also suggested hotels.

When asked about AI not accounting for travel time or best routes to get from one area to another, Ewer said it was something Google was "actively working on".

The AI oversight on Google search pulls information from published content that is ranked similarly to Google search, Ewer said.

"We have seen that when people click on websites through these AI overviews, they actually spend longer on those websites because they've been trying for more context about what they're going to find, as opposed to just clicking on a website... and going back to the search page," he said.

Other tools being rolled out this week include hotel price tracking, like with Google Flights, and the ability to use screenshots in Google Maps to identify places mentioned and save them in a list.

Other travel planning tools Google is promoting

With Gemini, which Google describes as "your new personal AI assistant," users can deploy Gems – custom Geminis that users can create to be experts on any topic – as a trip planner. Spokesperson Jessica Levis Boord used the example of planning a trip to Disney World.

"As you're creating the Gem, you enter instructions," she said. "And so you could say something like, 'you're an expert in trip planning specifically for Disney World, Florida. I'm going this spring with my tickets,' and then 'you always remember that information,' so I can go back to it over the next few weeks as I'm planning and say something like, 'go to good three-star hotels near the parks' or 'recommend a kid-friendly location for a restaurant but that's not a tourist trap.'"

Levis Boord also touted the benefits of Deep Research on Gemini, which was launched in December and, she said, "creates really comprehensive, amazing reports on your behalf." The platform enables the user to concoct a research plan that Gemini will execute.

For example, this author asked the Deep Research tool to investigate and plan a two-week Italian honeymoon "that includes boutique hotels, as well as resorts, and features a mix of relaxing activities and sightseeing. I want the trip to include a mix of popular destinations as well as lesser-known gems. I would also like a daily activity or excursion."

Deep Research presented a research plan and after approval, spent several minutes developing a report using dozens of websites, including Expedia, Black Tomato and Viator.

A feature unveiled last week is the ability for Deep Research to create an audio overview, like a podcast, with the gathered information.

When asked if travel advisors plan to use the new tools, Levis Boord said: "For travel agents, we want this to help them be even more productive in their roles. So I think a lot of folks will be turning to this."

Source: Travel Weekly