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Travel guides can be a very useful addition to a holiday but should not be followed to the letter, a publishing company boss has claimed.

Andy Riddle, managing director of Footprint, said that a well-written and researched guide can 'make the difference to the quality of a trip'.

He claimed that guidebooks can lead travellers to opportunities and experiences that they may otherwise have missed.

Commenting on how guides should be used, Mr Riddle said: 'I would not say that guide books should be followed slavishly.

'A good guide book is a great starting point for getting to understand a country and the choices you have when on the road.'

Thomas Kohnstamm, a former writer for Lonely Planet, caused controversy recently when he revealed that he had written a guide to Colombia despite never having visited the country.

Mr Kohnstamm said he based his book on information he received from his girlfriend, who was working in San Francisco's Colombian consulate, because Lonely Planet did not pay him enough to travel to the South American country.

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