Lucia Dubois

Neither one nor the other. The question is not about knowing who initiates the journey—fiction or guides—but how the two coexist. A more relevant approach would be to consider immersive tourism where fiction and guides merge to create experiences. Think of guided tours inspired by TV series, or literary itineraries that trace your favorite heroes, transforming exploration into a narrative quest.

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.

I understand the argument that inspiration can come from fiction, and that travel guides are useful, but the idea that physical guides are an integral part of this inspiration is a bit outdated.
For me, it's like saying that the printed manual of a device is the main source of troubleshooting, while online knowledge bases are always more up-to-date.
Guides become much less relevant when you have constant access to digital information on your phone, such as interactive maps or real-time reviews, which is the case for most trips today.