Like the old adage “honesty is the best policy,” recent
experience proves that rather than covering up the truth or
blaming the media for blowing an incidence out of proportion, during the crisis period the best possible strategy is honesty and integrity. Public authorities who faced up to the
challenge and admitted that there was a problem while promising to do their best to correct it gained the trust, credibility,
and sympathy of the media and the tourist population. There-
fore, it is of great importance that current and updated information be disseminated on a daily basis to the media, the
employees in the local tourism industry, and the tourists in
the generating markets.