Most desirable UK holiday let features revealed
UK: Researchers at cottage rental agency My Favourite Cottages have examined Google search data to find out which holiday let features are the most desirable, as UK travellers seek to make the most of the heatwave and ‘Freedom Day’ to get away. Despite plans for international travel to open up again, and with those double vaccinated more likely to be able to go […]
Google announces combined rental / hotel search product
Worldwide: Google has announced a combined hotel and vacation rental search product at its Marketing Live online event last week, in a further acknowledgment of the blurring lines between the two lodging segments. With the search engine revealing that searches for ‘beach rentals’ and ‘staycations’ had grown by more than 100 per cent globally over […]
Join Google, Revyoos + MAPAL Group for RockSTRz webinar today
Worldwide: ShortTermRentalz’ RockSTRz webinar series makes its return today [4 May] – sign up to the latest unmissable session HERE. The one-hour discussion, starting at 4pm BST, will be centred around “The changing landscape of reviews″. The contributors will look at: The importance of genuine review aggregation How businesses can improve credibility, SEO and conversion rates The role that […]
Expert panel announced for RockSTRz 2.0 reviews webinar [4 May]
Worldwide: The second half of ShortTermRentalz’ RockSTRz 2.0 webinar series kicks off next Tuesday 4 May [4pm BST] and the expert panel for that session has now been unveiled. The session, entitled “The changing landscape of reviews”, will focus on the importance of genuine review aggregation, how businesses can improve credibility, SEO and conversion rates, and […]
Google increases lobbying against EU Digital Services Act
Europe: Google has increased its anti-regulation lobbying efforts in Europe, targeted at the ambitious Digital Services Act [DSA]. The tech giant has outlined a 60-day strategy, in which it plans to rally American allies by framing the act as a threat to trans-Atlantic relations. European legislators have been pushing for wider regulations against digital services […]
Agoda re-introduced into Google vacation rental product lineup
Worldwide: Google’s vacation rental product now includes listings from Booking Holdings brand Agoda, while Airbnb is, intriguingly, absent from the search engine’s feature lineup. As the tech company continues the strengthening of its vacation rental offering with Google Vacation Rentals [or Holiday Rentals outside of the USA], which includes listings and reviews for property management […]
HomeToGo files antitrust complaint against Google
Germany: Vacation rental search engine HomeToGo, like other local travel startups including experience booking platform GetYourGuide, has filed an antitrust complaint against Google, accusing it of stealing content and data, according to a report in German newspaper Handelsblatt. According to the newspaper’s report, the group of more than half a dozen startups is mulling filing […]
Airbnb listings begin to appear on Google rental feature
Worldwide: Listings of entire homes and apartments on Airbnb have started to appear in Google’s alternative accommodations feature, as the search platform looks to step up the visibility of vacation rentals on its website. Skift reported this week that listings in cities such as Paris, Amsterdam and Madrid were now being displayed on Google’s vacation […]
Google increases visibility for vacation rentals on website
Worldwide: Google is stepping up efforts to drive its alternative accommodation divisions by combining rates, photos, reviews and a map within Google search results. To further highlight its growing vacation rentals and apartments business, the company is also placing these features above other travel firms’ organic results, suggesting that Google is prioritising growth in a […]
Airbnb to invest $25m in affordable housing projects
US: Airbnb is pledging $25m to invest in projects aiming to support, build and preserve affordable rental housing in California, by launching a new pilot programme. Focusing on the Bay Area and Los Angeles County, the Community Impact Investing programme, will work in partnership with RBC Global Asset Management. It will join forces with local […]