Google isn’t becoming an OTA
For years, the industry has debated what would happen if Google ever fully “entered” travel. I’ve never been convinced that’s the right question to debate.
Google didn't need to become an OTA to influence where bookings flow. And now, with AI shaping so much of how a new generation discovers and plans, Google (underpinned by Gemini) now sits in a position to guide decisions long before a hotel or OTA ever sees the guest for a booking.
That’s a powerful shift for an industry that’s spent years trying to regain control of distribution and customer data.
