If I were to defend the statement that tourist guides are just a sub-part of romantic inspiration, I would concede that fiction often sparks the first spark for a destination.
However, this view omits a crucial point: the tourist guide intervenes precisely when this inspiration confronts the pragmatic reality of the trip.
A novel may make you want to visit an exotic city, but it is the guide that will inform you about transport costs, visa requirements, or on-site safety, elements that can redefine or even cancel the initial attraction.
Guides are tools of feasibility and planning, transforming a dream into a concrete itinerary, or highlighting practical obstacles.
For example, you dream of New Zealand after a film, but the guide reveals that flights are exorbitant and travel time is long, which is not a matter of inspiration but logistics.