Google Travel Grabs Larger Share of U.S. Desktop Traffic During Pandemic
Google Travel's flight and hotel offerings gained the most desktop traffic market share in the U.S. during the pandemic while Tripadvisor lost the most on a percentage basis, according to Similarweb's June data.
"Google Travel now owns one-fourth of all (U.S.) desktop visits to top travel sites," Similarweb said.
In its earnings call about second quarter financials Tuesday, Google said travel and retail were the drivers of its advertising revenue during the period.
The following chart shows Google Travel's U.S. desktop market share increased 6 percentage points to 24 percent in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of pre-pandemic 2019.
U.S. Desktop Market Share Traffic Gains/Losses H1 2019 Versus H1 2022
| Site | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Google Travel | 18% | 24% |
| Booking.com | 14% | 16% |
| Airbnb | 14% | 15% |
| Expedia | 13% | 13% |
| Southwest | 6% | 6% |
| Vrbo | 4% | 6% |
| Marriott | 5% | 5% |
| Delta | 8% | 4% |
| TripAdvisor | 9% | 4% |
Source: Simillarweb
"Booking has also gained 2 percentage points of share in the U.S., and only Kayak (-1 percentage point), Delta (-4 percentage points), and TripAdvisor (-5 percentage points) have lost share," Similarweb said.
There are two points to keep in mind: These numbers don't include traffic from mobile devices, and traffic to Google Travel often gets sent along to online travel agency advertisers.
Up Next
How Data Quality Issues Impact Global Hospitality Operations
Indian Union Budget: The Hits and Misses for Tourism
U.S. Safety Investigators Are Reviewing Air Traffic Controller Staffing
United Airlines Shuts Down Rumors About a Merger
