Facebook has recently launched a service that is being seen as an offensive move against Google. The social media giant has brought in its own city guides in a bid to take on Google Trips. Moreover, Facebook took one step further by incorporating options for booking hotels, restaurants or tours.
As reported by Skift, this feature was launched within a recent Facebook update. It enables users to book rooms or make reservations in select cities directly through the app via a Book Now button.
This move by Facebook could be seen in the travel ecosystem "as a big challenge to Google", said Skift analyst Dennis Schaal. Google trip was also created to be a mobile trip planner with a travel itinerary, city guides, tips on how to get around but it lacks when it comes to booking, as it doesn't allow users to book reservations. That is why Facebook's booking feature comes as a huge advantage for the users.
Facebook's new app also takes a page out of Foursquare, showing users the list of places their friends have been and also recommend them places to go and do things, thanks to the existing check-in feature, reported TechCrunch. It also includes a section called "Places the Locals Go", which shows the most popular and high-rated places within Facebook.
