Skift Take
Voice-powered travel search, circa 2016, is still very much a beta test. But don't laugh: The day when travelers can book a flight or hotel using only their voice isn't far off.
This week, we're talking about voice search.
As more travelers shift their travel search and purchasing habits from desktops to mobile devices (and even wearables), ever-tinier keyboards are becoming a less and less useful interface. Instead, more technology companies, from Apple to Amazon to Google, are encouraging users to interact with devices via other means like voice.
Although the performance of voice tools is frequently awkward at best, they're starting to get way better, as evidenced by the success of Amazon's Echo device and the impending launch of a Google competitor. In fact, online travel player Kayak is now testing a voice-powered travel searching interface for the Amazon Echo. Is it a PR stunt? A sign of things to come? Read on for more analysis of this week's top marketing stories.
