August 29, 2024
Enriched location data for an improved traveller experience
5 minutes
Many travel platforms struggle to provide comprehensive destination information, leaving users frustrated and searching elsewhere. Poor location data can lead to missed opportunities, lost bookings, and decreased user satisfaction.
The solution? Enriching location data with the Google Places API New. By doing so, travel companies to provide accurate details on nearby attractions, dining options, and more in their app or website. This level of integration reduces friction in the customer journey, ultimately leading to higher engagement and satisfaction.
1. Enriched Location Data with Google Places API and Places Details
The Google Places API lets businesses access millions of global points of interest, helping travellers easily explore their surroundings. By integrating this API hotels and booking platforms easily showcase nearby restaurants, attractions, and more with just a few clicks.
Take this further with Place Details, which provides in-depth information about each establishment. Travellers can learn if a restaurant is wheelchair accessible, whether it allows pets, or if it caters to specific dietary requirements. This level of detail empowers guests to make informed decisions about where to eat, shop, or visit, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience.
2. AI-Powered Insights and Contextual Search for an Improved Traveller Experience
Google is pushing the boundaries of location data with the integration of the Gemini Model into the Google Places API.
In addition to using rich information about more than 250 million businesses and places—like ratings, reviews, and business hours—developers can now display helpful, generative AI summaries of places and geographic areas directly within their own apps and websites. Moreover, these summaries are updated frequently, using the Gemini model to analyse place information and insights from Google Maps’ community of over 300 million contributors. Through this enriched location data businesses can display the most up-to-date information possible to their users.
Another significant update to the Places API is the addition of AI-powered contextual search results. As a result, when users search for places in your products, they will now see reviews and photos related to their search, helping them compare options more easily and make informed decisions. This AI-powered capability can greatly enhance the guest experience by delivering personalised, contextually relevant results.
3. Benefits of integrating Google Places API new into your platform
There are multiple ways in which Google Maps Platform enhanced features help travel businesses deliver better experiences while optimising costs. Here’s how:
- Find the right place: With the new ‘popularity’ ranking feature, travel businesses can now effortlessly guide customers to the most popular destinations, accommodations, and dining experiences. Additionally, you can include or exclude specific types of places to better tailor recommendations.
- Text Search: The improved text search further enables travellers to find points of interest by entering keywords and locations, with filters for price and ratings. As a result, they are sure to find options that fit their budget and quality preferences.
- New attributions that create rich experiences: Provide travellers with comprehensive details about local attractions, helping them easily discover museums, parks, and restaurants, for a seamless and more enjoyable experience.
- New Place Types: With 100 new categories, including EV charging stations, travel businesses can cater to specific traveller preferences. As an example, they can offer eco-friendly options or focus on niche interests such as adventure and wellness.
- Dynamic Places Data: Real-time information on EV charging stations and fuel prices helps travel platforms provide up-to-date data, enabling travellers to make informed choices on the go.
- Only pay for what you need: The field mask feature lets travel businesses only pay for the specific data they need, helping them avoid unnecessary costs and optimise their resources.
Conclusion
Leveraging Google Maps APIs, such as the Google Places API, travel businesses can enrich location data around hotels and accommodations, providing travellers with a personalized and convenient experience. From helping guests discover the best nearby restaurants to showcasing local attractions. These tools enable businesses to meet modern travellers’ expectations and enhance their journey from start to finish.
Moreover, beyond enhancing data accuracy and providing personalised suggestions, Google Maps APIs make it easy to integrate location-based services directly into a business’s app or website. Users no longer need to leave the platform to find details about nearby attractions. Everything from real-time traffic updates to walking directions can be displayed in a streamlined, user-friendly interface.
Ready to transform your customer journey? Our experts can guide you in integrating Google Maps Platform APIs to deliver intuitive location-based experiences.
Client Relationship and Accounts Manager
With over 7 years of experience, I have a keen interest in the Travel, Real Estate and Financial Services Industries. I’m passionate about driving efficiency and enhancing user experiences. I specialise in helping businesses to leverage the Google Maps APIs to optimise costs and operations. Beyond work, I love cooking, hate baking and prioritise spending time with my husband and little one in beautiful Malaga.