For today’s pod we look at some really big AI announcements by Google and a smaller one by Hotels.com. We also look at the stocks members of the U.S. congress are trading.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, May 21. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Google unveiled a series of travel-related AI upgrades at its developer conference on Tuesday, writes Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes.

Dawes reports the upgrades include plans for smart glasses with tools for live voice translation and a connection to Google Maps for real-time navigation. The big Search upgrade comes through AI Mode, which Google made widely available to users in the U.S. on Tuesday. 

The company said AI Mode is more advanced, meaning that users can perform complicated searches in one go. Google added that its new “agentic” search capability should enable AI Mode to complete searches across multiple websites on the user’s behalf. 

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Next, members of Congress are not only helping shape the travel industry, some of them are investing in it. More than three dozen lawmakers and their spouses have traded stocks in travel companies, writes Contributor Dave Levinthal.  

Federal lawmakers and their spouses have made close to 600 individual travel industry-related stock trades since the 2021-2022 congressional session. That’s according to a Skift analysis of congressional financial records. Levinthal notes the purchases and sales of shares are worth well into the millions of dollars. 

Booking Holdings, Marriott, and Airbnb are the three most frequently traded travel stocks by members of Congress and their spouses. 

Finally, Hotels.com has unveiled a new chatbot trip planner, and Travel Technology Reporter Justin Dawes explains how it works.

The Hotels.com app got a smart filter meant to allow users to sort property searches with preferences, like a rooftop bar. The app is simple to use, but we also uncovered several errors. 

Another issue: Since the app doesn’t sell flights or experiences, those can’t be added to the itinerary.

- NEW YORK CITY