Google Rolls Out New Features to Help with Summer Vacation Planning
AI-Powered Search Results
Google is introducing a slew of new features across Search, Maps, and Gemini to assist users in planning their summer vacations. The new features come as users have been turning to tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT for help with trip planning.
AI Overviews
Google Search’s AI Overviews, which display a snapshot of information at the top of the results page, can now help users get trip ideas for certain regions or countries. Starting this week, users can search for something like "create an itinerary for Costa Rica with a focus on nature."
Browsing Photos and Reviews
From there, users can browse through photos and reviews and see locations on an expandable map. When ready to save an itinerary, users can tap "Export" to share the recommendations through Docs or Gmail. Or, they can save them as a custom list in Google Maps.
Image Credits: Google
The new feature is available for English language queries in the U.S. on mobile and desktop.
Gemini’s Gems
Google is also making Gemini’s Gems feature available to everyone for free. A Gem is a tool that lets you create custom AI experts for any task within Gemini. This means that users can now set up a trip planner that can help them pick a destination and suggest what to pack.
Hotel Price Tracking
In addition, while Google has allowed users to get alerts on price drops for flights for quite some time now, it’s now going to do the same with hotels. Users will now see a new option to track hotel prices for chosen dates and destinations. You can select filters for your hotel search, such as star ratings or beach access, for a specific area. If prices go down, Google will send you an email.
Hotel price tracking is launching globally this week on mobile and desktop browsers.
Image Credits: Google
Maps
As for Maps, Google is rolling out the ability for users to turn their screenshots into solid vacation plans. When planning a vacation, people often take screenshots to bookmark places they want to visit, but can sometimes forget about these photos in their camera roll.
Automatic Identification
Now, users can give Maps access to their photos to allow the app to automatically identify places mentioned in your screenshots so you can review and save the ones you want to a list. The places that you save will show up on the map so you can get an overview of your plans.
This feature is rolling out this week in the U.S. in English on iOS, and will launch on Android soon.
Conclusion
Google’s new features aim to make summer vacation planning easier and more efficient for users. With the introduction of AI Overviews, Gemini’s Gems, hotel price tracking, and automatic screenshot identification in Maps, users can now plan their trips with more accuracy and precision.
FAQs
Q: What is AI Overview in Google Search?
A: AI Overview is a feature in Google Search that displays a snapshot of information at the top of the results page to help users get trip ideas for certain regions or countries.
Q: How can I use Gemini’s Gems feature?
A: You can create a custom AI expert for any task within Gemini, such as a trip planner, to help you pick a destination and suggest what to pack.
Q: How do I track hotel prices?
A: You can select filters for your hotel search, such as star ratings or beach access, for a specific area. If prices go down, Google will send you an email.
Q: How do I use Maps to turn my screenshots into solid vacation plans?
A: You can give Maps access to your photos to allow the app to automatically identify places mentioned in your screenshots so you can review and save the ones you want to a list.
