Originally Posted by
mbgg
I think that you are exaggerating this conflict of interest. If you check the comments posted on Tripadvisor by these guides, they never suggest to anyone who wants to tour on their own that they must hire a guide. On the other hand, these guides visit the tourist sites daily and are able to provide much more accurate and up-to-date information and general advice than persons such as myself (I am not in the travel industry).
What you're saying isn't far from my point -- the guides don't actually self-promote (i.e., telling people to hire them) but their mere presence on the board is self-promotion. They aren't providing information just do be helpful; they're doing it because it helps their business. Sure, they can offer great advice. Other country TA forums have guides and tour operators who are regulars / DEs, but there isn't the same network of non-travel industry regulars who shill for the travel industry regular friends.