Google announced today that it is now letting Panoramio users export their photos to Google+. With Google+ being such a magnet for photographers, and Google touting it as such, it’s kind of hard to believe this wasn’t already an option.

“2 years ago, we launched a feature that allowed all Panoramio users to import their photos from Picasa Web Albums into Panoramio so they could share them with the world via Google Maps and Google Earth,” says Panoramio Community Manager Gerald Sanz. “Many Panoramio users are Google+ users, and many Google+ users are Panoramio users.”

Photos that are copied from Panoramio that are associated with a place will be featured in Google+ Local. As Google notes, this should add a great deal of visibility to the photos.

“Sharing your photos in Google+ will be easier than ever as by uploading your photos in Panoramio, you will automatically upload your photos in Google+, so you can get the best of both worlds,” says Sanz. “With all these changes we hope to bring you more choice, exposure and freedom for your photos of the World, and we hope you like it as much as we do.”

When users export all their photos to Google+, they’ll be able to download security copies via the Download your data link under Google Accounts.