Google Quietly Debuts Game-Changing Tours and Activities Advertising Product
Photo Credit: Picture is a screen grab of a 2-minute video tribute to the Eiffel Tower. Google just made a big move in tours and activities. Egg Films
Skift Take
While many travel companies are struggling to survive, Google has the resources to keep innovating and rolling out new products despite the travel advertising downturn. As with flights and hotels, Google's new tours and activities advertising business will have a far-reaching impact — unless regulators step in.
Without fanfare, Google is making yet another push into travel by introducing what tours and activities vendors have feared for years — its own prioritized advertising business with leading attractions competitors dragged along for the ride.
Although it is only likely visible to a small percentage of users for now, Google is launching a new commercial advertising unit featuring attractions from the likes of Viator, GetYourGuide, and Tiqets, for example. The advertising box in the test we've seen appears atop the Google search results page or screen — higher than other paid ads and free search engine results — and features five tours and and one supplier listed in initial search results for each.
Perpetual Content Licenses
Below is a screenshot of Google's new "things to do" advertising unit showing various Berlin, Germany tours from GetYourGuide and Viator. We haven't seen the whole navigation, but travelers eventually end up on Viator or GetYourGuide to book the tour ticket
