Jian Muller

If I were defending the idea that fiction is the main source of inspiration for travel, I would say that guides are only secondary tools that help realize a pre-formed dream, and this is a charitable position.
However, this hierarchy is far too rigid and does not reflect how many of us discover new destinations.
A travel guide can be the initial source of inspiration, providing concrete ideas and practical information that ignite the desire to travel, long before a film or a book is even considered.
For example, flipping through a Michelin guide and discovering the culinary stars of an unknown region in Belgium can quite precede any fictional inspiration, with the practical context being the starting spark.

Allow me to build the case with which I wish to disagree: it is quite true that fiction has an escapist power and can deeply embed the desire to discover a place, like a film such as In Bruges which has undoubtedly boosted tourism in that beautiful city.
However, this hierarchy is unstable and does not always reflect the pragmatic reality of decision-making.
A well-designed travel guide, with its clear itineraries and practical information on family activities, can initiate the process of choosing a destination long before a work of fiction is consumed.
For example, a Belgian family looking for a destination for Easter holidays will probably be more influenced by a guide presenting amusement parks or beaches suitable for children in France than by a lengthy novel they won't have time to read.

The question is not whether inspiration comes from fiction or guides. It's a false dilemma. The real dynamic lies in the unexpected convergence of both, where an insignificant detail in a novel comes to life thanks to a photo in a guide, creating an irresistible attraction. Let's ignore the menu, and create our own dish by merging imagination and reality.

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.

Before any conviction, it is essential to consider the risk of over-interpretation: inspiration through fiction is not a mandate for using travel guides, nor a certain path to a destination.
A film can create a desire, but the step towards concrete planning of a trip and buying a guide requires other prerequisites that are more down-to-earth.
For example, patients inspired by cinematic scenery for a distant trip often face budget constraints or practical feasibility, making the travel guide less relevant than the desire.
If we only look at inspiration without the thresholds of reality, we will not see the direct link with travel guides.