After the release of Google Calendar over the Easter weekend, speculation is mounting that an announcement will be made this week in London about a Google move into travel via a new dedicated portal.

The Times (London) states that the company will form a joint-venture partnership with a Chicago-based online booking engine, Orbitz, aimed at capturing a significant slice of this part of online business.

The speculation regarding Google Travel began following the placing of a recruitment advertisement by the American search giant before the Easter weekend which sought a “Senior Account Executive, Travel Vertical”.

The job advertisement says, “Your main responsibility is to drive new business revenue growth with our Fortune 1000 advertisers in a specified vertical in one or more regions.”

Online bookings and travel sites, like Expedia and Travelocity have been among the biggest commercial successes of the internet. “It is speculated that Google Travel’s plans may well also include offering high-bandwidth streaming video of selected destinations and properties.”

Google is being very tight-lipped, however, and a spokeswoman for the company said, “I can confirm that Google has no current plans to launch a travel portal.”