World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards (WSTHA) is calling on pioneers in sustainable travel to gain recognition for their work by entering its inaugural programme before 24 May.
17.04.2024 - 14:53 / skift.com / Justin Dawes
Google said Wednesday that it is releasing new features that share options for traveling in ways that are more environmentally friendly.
There are several features that have either been released or are coming to its Maps, Search, Flights, and Hotels products. Some of the features are powered by its Gemini generative AI technology.
The company also shared updates about expanding industry use of its carbon emissions estimate technology.
This comes shortly after Google added an experimental AI-powered trip planner to Search, along with announcements of several other new travel features, including trip recommendations within Maps.
Google said it is expanding an existing featureto show train schedules and ticket prices directly in Search for 38 countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the UK, and the U.S.
That same feature is available for long-distance buses in 15 countries: Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the UK, and the U.S.
It appears to work only for itineraries with direct routes, not those with transfers.
When users search for driving directions in Maps, the app will soon show public transit or walking options in conjunction with driving routes, as long as travel times are deemed comparable and practical. That feature is coming to more than 15 cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, Montreal, Paris, Rome, and Sydney.
Later this year, Google plans to show rail suggestions in conjunction with Flights search results, as long as the train routes are deemed reasonable alternatives. This feature was already available while searching flights within the Search product.
Google Maps and other products are getting several new features in the coming months to help electric vehicle drivers locate charging stations.
When using an electric vehicle’s built-in Maps app for driving directions, the route will include pins to locate charging stations, with information about wait-times and charging speeds. And when a driver creates a multi-stop trip in the vehicle’s Maps tool, the app will suggest stops during the trip for vehicle charging.
Each charging station location within the mobile Maps app will include AI-generated summaries based on user reviews, meant to help users more easily find the stations.
To collect data to power some of these AI summaries, users leaving reviews for charging stations will be prompted to share
World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards (WSTHA) is calling on pioneers in sustainable travel to gain recognition for their work by entering its inaugural programme before 24 May.
Cruises are increasingly popular but not the most environmentally-friendly option for travelers keen to keep carbon emissions low. It's also true that cruise companies need to meet goals of being carbon-neutral by 2050—one possible solution then, would be to start building nuclear-powered cruise ships.
Imagine you’re visiting the Colosseum in Rome for the first time, and you want your friends to enjoy the same view through the lenses you’re wearing.
This Mother’s Day (12 May 2024), treat a travel-loving mum with one of these indulgent beauty gifts to make a long-haul journey just that little bit easier. From skin rejuvenating creams to hydrating mists, these gifts will pamper and make every Mum feel loved when away from home.
The Mexican Navy announced that over 8,000 meters of anti-sargassum barriers are being installed this spring along the popular beaches of Quintana Roo.
Trek through rugged mountains, plunge into the ocean depths or ascend into the boundless heavens. There’s no better way to embrace the magnificent beauty and wonder of our planet than through travel and exploration. And, now that spring has officially sprung, warmer weather will draw more and more travelers out to see and experience the wider world.
WHY IT RATES: AmaWaterways is putting its sustainability front and center as we celebrate another Earth Day. — Lacey Pfalz, Associate Writer, TravelPulse
As we recognize the importance of protecting our planet’s natural resources and bounty on Earth Day once more, we can also recognize the travel industry’s role in protecting those resources and limiting its negative impact on the world around us.
Sustainable travel is surging in popularity, but what does it mean? The vague term can refer to traveling in a way that’s conscientious of the environment and local communities, leaving less of an impact on a destination and perhaps even bettering the location in the process. Sustainable tourism, in many ways a reaction to overtourism, helps protect the planet, to ensure destinations are liveable and worth visiting for years to come. And while travel can certainly takes its toll, creating carbon emissions, waste and more, responsible tourism is an essential step in protecting the planet.
Even as the grounding of the Max 9 prompted Alaska Airlines to cancel thousands of flights in January, the carrier came out relatively unscathed in the first quarter. And that’s partly because its business travel fully recovered to 2019 levels.
Google has announced several new features for Google Maps and Google Search aimed at helping people find less carbon-intensive ways of traveling and commuting.
Last week was the biggest for fundraising in travel tech in almost three months.