Islamabad, April 01: Google is enhancing its suite of travel tools across Maps, Search, and Hotels by introducing AI-powered features designed to streamline vacation planning.
As reported by 9to5Google, these updates leverage Gemini AI to integrate smarter capabilities into Google’s existing services, making trip organization more seamless.
Google Maps Introduces Screenshot-Based Location Recognition
One of the most notable updates is a new feature in Google Maps that recognizes locations from saved screenshots.
Instead of manually typing place names from travel inspiration images, the app will use Gemini AI to scan visible text in screenshots and pinpoint the corresponding locations on the map.
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Users can then review, save, and categorize these destinations into shareable lists.
Initially launching for iOS users in the U.S. (English only), this feature relies on text extraction rather than image recognition. An Android rollout is expected soon.
AI-Powered Itinerary Planning in Google Search
Google Search is also expanding its travel planning capabilities. The AI Overview feature can now generate itineraries for entire countries and regions, not just individual cities.
Travelers can input queries like “plan a food-focused trip to Italy” and receive customized recommendations, complete with reviews, images, maps, and options to save locations or export itineraries to Docs or Gmail.
This enhancement is currently available in the U.S. on both desktop and mobile.
Google Lens Expands Language Support
The AI Overview tool in Google Lens, which provides real-time insights using a device’s camera, will soon support six more languages: Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
This expansion aims to make the feature more accessible for travelers worldwide.
Global Rollout of Hotel Price Tracking
Google’s hotel search functionality is becoming more advanced with a new price-tracking feature.
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Similar to Google Flights, users can now monitor price fluctuations for specific hotels, destinations, and travel dates. Once tracking is enabled, they will receive email alerts when prices drop significantly.
This feature is now available globally on both desktop and mobile.
By centralizing travel planning within its ecosystem, Google is making it easier for users to gather, organize, and act on trip-related information—all without switching between multiple apps or services.
