How Google Plans to Make Money in Travel — and Everything Else

Online Travel This Week Google's decision in March to add organic listings to Google Hotels — and thus to offer hotels and online travel agencies both paid and free options — is part of its overriding strategy, and it will eventually be replicated in both tours and activities, and vacation rentals. After all, in addition to Google Hotels, outside of the travel sector the company transitioned Google Shopping to a pay per click and a free model for vendors in July 2020, when it eliminated commissions. In almost any industry, companies crave to capture customers directly, but Google has seen incremental traffic in its hotel metasearch, or price-comparison, service since the company turned on free links to supplement the already-existing paid ads in its bid for more comprehensiveness and engagement. So Google is