A travel guide is a good way for tourists to get the "best opportunities and experiences" out of their
backpacking travels, one expert has insisted.
Managing director of travel guide publisher Footprint, Andy Riddle, claims that a well-informed travel guide can make sure visitors are aware of a destination's opportunities.
The travel guide world has been the subject of controversy in recent months following the revelations of former Lonely Planet travel guide writer Thomas Kohnstamn.
In his book Do Travel Writers Go to Hell Mr Kohnstamn admitted that he wasn't paid enough to travel to Colombia so wrote his guide after quizzing his girlfriend who worked at the Colombian Consulate in New York.
However, Mr Riddle insists that a travel guide can be the portal to a wealth of opportunities and hidden
hostels that "might otherwise be missed".
"A good guide book is a great starting point for getting to understand a country and the choices you have when on the road," he added.
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