Leo Lopez

Let's forget binary thinking, because the inspiration for travel and guides are not hierarchical, but rather tools for different phases of planning.
Fiction ignites the flame of desire, offering an idealized vision, while guides provide the practical information to realize this vision, much like a medical file gives the steps to treat an illness rather than the inspiration to do so.
A third approach would be to let fiction define the spirit of the trip – for example, dreaming of Renaissance Italy after reading a historical novel – then using guides to build an itinerary that incorporates these specific themes, not just generic tourist attractions.

The real issue here is not choosing between the friend and the influencer, but understanding how contextualized prescription operates. Your addition about travel guides opens an interesting path: they are not just sources of information, but tools for validation on the ground, redefining the hierarchy of influence much more than I had considered. Rather than a simple alternative, they become a crucial link for the concrete adoption of a destination, especially in the absence of connectivity.

If I had to support the thesis that fiction is the main source of inspiration for travel, I would emphasize the emotional immersion it offers, creating a deep desire to live what is read or seen on screen. However, this view does not fully grasp the primary and autonomous role that tourist guides can play in triggering the desire to travel. A guide is not just a simple crutch when the network is cut; it can be the initial trigger of a destination. For example, a striking photograph or a concise description in a guide can reveal an unknown region and become the sole reason for a trip, well before a fictional work mentions it. Inspiration for exploration is often more direct and pragmatic than one might imagine.

Forget the dichotomy between fiction and guides; the real driver is lived experience, the unexpected third way.
One does not choose a destination solely based on romanticized dreams or cold factual information.
A friend recounting their trip to Martinique, sharing anecdotes over coffee, is what really resonates and weighs in the decision.
Personal recommendations from a close one, like a good doctor, take precedence over any book or guide when deciding on a concrete destination.

Their most strong version claims that travel inspiration mainly comes from fiction, with guides being just logistical tools. However, this reading does not always reflect the lived reality for many. A tourist guide is not just a manual for validation after inspiration but can itself trigger the desire. Many, flipping through a Routard or a Lonely Planet, discover unexpected destinations or cultural aspects that create the impulse to travel. For example, I know colleagues who decided to visit Tasmania after seeing photos or descriptions of hikes in a thematic guide, long before a film pushed them there. The rigid distinction between "initial impulse" and "validation" is often too simplistic, as inspiration can quite naturally arise from reading a guide.