Microsoft Word 2007 ichrie conference Proceedings Final-Final 06-06-07. doc

Figure 2. 
Sample of New Orleans Advertising Post-Katrina 
Source: New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation/Peter A. Mayer Advertising, New Orleans (2006) 
CONCLUSIONS 
Three major lessons can be learned from the New Orleans post Katrina experience that contribute to 
applied tourism marketing after a crisis. First, the creation of a location for members of the media to receive updates 
from local officials so that the perpetuation of disaster “myths” can be mitigated is of vital importance. Second, 
identifying and using opinion leaders in the dissemination of positive elements of a destination in crisis recovery is 
vital to offset negative publicity from emanating from the mass media. Third, it is appropriate to use an affective 
advertising strategy (Braun-LaTour, Latour, & Loftus, 2006), by capitalizing on the emotions and connections with 
previous visitors to New Orleans. Page et. al (2006) made an important point when they noted that during a crisis the 
media would set the pace of the coverage. An interesting difference with regard to New Orleans is that the media, 
with its overwhelming reach, continues to set the pace even during the recovery stage. However, given its use of a 

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