The diplodocus. The tyrannosaurus. The triceratops. All gone. In this age of the internet and applications of all kinds, will paper travel guides suffer the same fate as these dinosaurs?
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
“I haven’t used these guides for several years,” confides Lydiane St-Onge, a great traveler who recounts her adventures and gives advice on her website Lydiane Around the World. I do research on the internet before my departure and then I let myself be carried away by the advice of the people I meet. »
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Traveler Lydiane St-Onge relies mainly on the internet and artificial intelligence to plan her adventures.
Travel guides probably won’t disappear, but they need to evolve. As well as how to use them.
“Fighting against the tide, with the Internet, is impossible,” comments François-Xavier Bleau, of the Karavaniers travel agency.
Not so long ago, planning a trip started with a trip to the bookstore or library to pick up travel guides.
“Now, it is no longer really the tool used in the first phase of constructing a trip,” notes Mr. Bleau. A lot of research on the Internet has replaced that, sites like AllTrails, Gaïa, where there are stories, testimonies, photos, data, tracks, because in the case of Karavaniers, we are talking about obviously from hiking trips. »
But when the time comes to refine itineraries, add visits or meetings, travel guides still have their uses. Notably because their content is more objective than what can be found online, maintains François-Xavier Bleau.
This is obviously what Julie Brodeur, of Ulysse Travel Guides, argues.
There is a human experience behind the book. The information comes from a reliable source, someone who has expertise, who has been there, behind which there is rigorous editing work. This makes it a product that stands out from what you will find on social networks or on lists and itineraries generated by artificial intelligence.
Julie Brodeur, from Ulysse Travel Guides
At Explorateur Voyages, we still use travel guides as a tool, alongside websites, to structure an itinerary.
“The guides are still an undeniable mine of information,” comments Tarek Maalouf, of Explorateurs Voyages. It remains interesting to have a description of certain localities, of certain attractions. It’s still a relevant reference tool, but you shouldn’t just rely on that. »
He points out that there are different types of travel guides, which meet different needs.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The travel guides in the “Fabuleux” collection from Ulysse aim to inspire, especially with numerous photos.
“If it’s a question of structuring an itinerary, choosing trips, taking care of logistics, the Routard and the Lonely Planet will be interesting for that,” he explains. If you want more of a cultural storyline, there is Ulysse and Gallimard. As for the Blue Guide, it is encyclopedic, it will have historical and cultural information and attractions such as museums and archaeological sites. I love using it, but it’s not necessarily a useful guide for someone looking for their hotel and restaurant. »
It is precisely in this aspect that the Internet proves to be a formidable competitor. The information you found in travel guides about hotels, restaurants and bars is getting old quickly.
“We had to update it frequently,” notes Julie Brodeur. And then, the pandemic really shook up the little world of travel guide publishing, with the number of restaurants that closed. For us, it was really hard work. »
Indeed, Ulysses had to adapt his guides to the new reality.
“Sales are falling for classic guides, i.e. large country guides with lots of addresses of restaurants, accommodation and attractions,” confides Mme Embroiderer. We don’t make them again. On the other hand, there is still demand for small regional or city guides, so small pocket formats with addresses, good tips, small maps. »
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Ulysses’ little pocket guides offer walking routes in cities.
These little guides, presented as part of the collections Stopover et Explore, notably offer walking tours in urban areas. This is the kind of content that suits paper guides particularly well, according to Tarek Maalouf.
The traveler has the paper guide in hand, with a traced path, a description. He wanders around Rome, Istanbul, it’s free, you just have to be active.
Tarek Maalouf, from Explorers Travel
Ulysse publishes slightly larger guides, the “Fabuleux” collection, which look a bit like the old classic country guides. We focus on the history of a country, its culture, its attractions, with lots of photos, but no addresses of hotels or restaurants.
“People consult it to prepare for their trip, but many will still bring it to read on site,” specifies Julie Brodeur.
François-Xavier Bleau believes that new generations, accustomed to applications, addicted to online reviews, will abandon paper guides even more. New technologies could speed up this process.
“More and more, I like using ChatGPT for planning my trips,” comments Lydiane St-Onge, in an email sent from South Africa. I ask him what the must-dos are, mention my travel preferences, and ask him to create an itinerary. »
