Google is significantly enhancing its role in the travel industry with a major global expansion of its AI-powered tools. The company announced a suite of new features designed to streamline trip planning and booking, including the worldwide rollout of its Flight Deals tool, new itinerary creation capabilities, and broader access to its AI booking assistant.
Global Expansion of Flight Deals
Initially launched in the U.S., Canada, and India, Google’s AI-powered Flight Deals tool is now available in over 200 countries and territories, supporting more than 60 languages. This expansion directly impacts travelers across the MENA region.
The tool leverages generative AI to simplify the search for affordable airfare. Users can describe their travel preferences in natural language—specifying where, when, and how they want to travel—and the system instantly surfaces the most competitive deals available, moving beyond traditional filter-based searches.
AI-Powered Itinerary Planning with Canvas
Google is also introducing advanced trip-planning features through its Canvas tool within AI Mode. Originally a workspace for organizing research, Canvas can now generate complete travel itineraries based on a user’s request.
By selecting “Create with Canvas,” users receive a personalized plan that integrates real-time data from Google Flights and hotel listings, location details and reviews from Google Maps, and recommendations for restaurants and activities. The tool allows for dynamic adjustments and follow-up questions, helping travelers optimize their plans based on budget, preferences, and proximity. This feature is currently available for desktop users in the U.S. who have opted into the Labs experiment.
The Future of Booking in Search
The company is also widening access to its agentic booking capabilities, which allow AI to handle reservations directly within Search. Previously limited to Labs users, this feature is now rolling out to all U.S. users for booking restaurant reservations, event tickets, and wellness appointments.
Looking ahead, Google plans to enable full flight and hotel bookings directly inside AI Mode. This will allow users to compare options, review details, and finalize bookings seamlessly without leaving the search interface, positioning Google Search as an end-to-end travel hub.
Relevance For The MENA Tech Ecosystem
This global push by Google presents both a significant challenge and a new opportunity for the MENA travel tech landscape. For established players like Wego and Almosafer, it signals intensifying competition from a global giant known for its deep integration into user search habits. These regional startups will need to emphasize unique value propositions, such as localized expertise, curated travel packages, and superior customer service, to maintain their market share.
For the broader ecosystem, Google’s move raises the bar for user experience. MENA travelers will increasingly expect sophisticated, AI-driven convenience in their travel planning tools. This creates an opportunity for new startups to innovate in niche areas that Google may overlook, such as specialized tours, hyperlocal activity booking, or Halal-friendly travel planning. Furthermore, local hotels, restaurants, and tour operators must ensure their online presence is optimized for Google’s platforms to remain visible and bookable through these new AI-powered channels.
About Google
Google is a global technology company specializing in Internet-related services and products. These include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. The company’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.
Source: TechCrunch
