The Authenticity of Guidebooks
Progymnasmata: Chreia
“In the golden age, writers personally knew the companies’ owners, the companies’ offices were convivial spaces for rest in-between travels and everyone was interested in travel and culture first and money second.”
This is a beautiful point. As travel became more feasible the commercialization of travel also increased. It is a well known concept of the non tourist traveler. The person that wants the local dives and hole in the wall treasures, but in an age of rapid communication that is becoming harder to accomplish. But how can anyone find those places without research. Nowadays that research is tainted with companies paying to put their restaurant or attraction in a travel guide, (regardless Lonely Planet recommendations are still pretty good). It in a way is no longer the only locals dive bar that your cousin found on his trip to London, but that does not mean a tainted brochure is a tainted trip. In ways it is good that money is no longer second. It allows people from more walks of life travel. That being said the aim of this quote is to illustrate the authenticity of older guidebooks and how the connection between writer and companies gave the book/brochure some merit.