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.