In addition to adding stability features to its current travel search choices for hotels and flights, Google has announced that it will facilitate the purchase of rail tickets in Japan, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The Alphabet-owned business also said that when customers search for hotels and flights, they would have the option of using a “eco-label” filter. The business has also disclosed that it will eventually incorporate support for bus tickets into its search engine.
The company claimed in a blog post that the introduction of the ability to purchase train tickets on Search in a few countries is also an effort to persuade users to choose more environmentally friendly forms of transportation. If a train is available for the same route and is searched for by people in Japan, Germany, Italy, or Spain using Google or Google Flights, the train will show up in the results. Users who click on the direct link will be taken to the partner website where they may buy train tickets.
Although the feature is only available in a few countries for now, Google has stated that it intends to make the option of purchasing train tickets available in more nations since it is dependent on the cooperation with the railways.
New filters that limit search results to “only low-emissions” airlines and “eco-certified” hotels have also been unveiled by Google. Users have been able to search for hotels and flights since 2011, but the business just started tracking carbon emissions in 2021. This included offering Google Maps advice for fuel-efficient driving routes as well as statistics on the carbon emissions related to flights.
The Alphabet-owned company announced partnerships with groups including the US Green Building Council and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council to manage its database, which will be used to give eco-certified hotels more priority in search results. According to Google, hotel eco-labels depend on their decision to self-report their sustainability initiatives. Travel Assistance Help Page
Users of Google Flights now have the choice to filter results based on CO2 emissions or “low emissions exclusively.” Google claims to employ the most recent algorithmic models and European Environment Agency (EEA) emissions projections from 2019.
