Isn't it a bit simplistic to consider travel guides as just a 'component' of fictional inspiration?
History shows us that trip planning has long relied on concrete and precise information.
Historically, the travel guide has always been the concrete starting point for exploration, providing essential facts well before fiction embellishes the idea.
For many, it remains the foundation upon which adventures are built, not just an emotional addition like a story; for example, we buy a Routard before dreaming of Iceland after a film.