Kwame Garcia

Let's avoid getting carried away with the idea that travel inspiration mainly comes from fiction; it's a simplification that forgets the flip side.
A film can certainly inspire, but without a reliable travel guide, the risk of disappointment is high, especially when traveling on a limited budget.
Imagine discovering Japan through films showing cherry blossoms, then arriving in the middle of summer under an overwhelming heat without being warned of the real conditions.
It's prudence that saves us from mishaps, by providing practical details and avoidance conditions.
A good guide is a fail-safe against unforeseen events, much more than just logistics after a chimerical inspiration.

If I were arguing the opposite point of view, I would say that inspiration from fiction is a romantic starting point, but that travel guides are much more than just a sub-part or a supporting tool; they are often the first concrete contact with the feasibility of a trip.
The problem with the idea that fiction is the main source is that it ignores how people actually discover places.
A guide can present places or activities that one would never have imagined, well beyond what a film or a book could suggest, creating desire.
For example, my friend discovered the Marolles in Brussels, a charming neighborhood, not in a novel, but by flipping through a guide on flea markets, proving that the guide creates inspiration.

The idea that guides are only a subset of fictional inspiration is a too reductive view of the full expression of travel. A tourist guide can be the primary source that reveals the maximum potential of a destination, well beyond what a film might suggest. Pushing for the peak of the experience means understanding that guides can trigger desire, not just validate it, especially by highlighting local gems or cultural asymmetries. For example, a guide on pilgrimage routes in Galicia will inspire many more people to travel than any film on the subject.

The idea that travel guides are just a subset of travel inspiration through fiction has a relevance score of 2 out of 10.
Guides have a decision influence rate of 6/10 for the final decision, but fiction is at 8/10 for the initial impulse.
Their practical usefulness on the ground, especially without internet, is 9/10 for logistics, not for inspiration.
A guide is a validation and planning tool, not an initial source of inspiration in about 75% of cases.
For example, a movie can inspire a visit to New Zealand (inspiration 8/10), then the guide helps to assess feasibility (usefulness 9/10), a distinct role.