Let's forget the false opposition between fictional inspiration and travel guides; the real question is access to reliable and up-to-date information.
Films can give a desire, yes, but a printed guide is often outdated before even reaching the bookstore, much like a diagnosis based on a Google search.
What we need is a collaborative travel platform where people's experiences enrich others' trips in real time, avoiding bad surprises like forgotten vaccination reminders.
Imagine a registry where each traveler contributes verified feedback on local conditions and pitfalls to avoid; a kind of community health record for your holidays.
Such a system would be much more effective for disaster prevention and discovering authentic destinations than any static source.