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The Significance of Crisis Communication in the Aftermath of 9/11: A National Investigation of How Tourism Managers Have Re-Tooled Their Promotional Campaigns

SUMMARY After September 11, 2001 (9/11), the United States immediately embarked upon a new way of life, or, as the media describes it, a “new normalcy” (Chura, 2002; Stark, 2002). Throughout Corporate America, managers had to instantaneously re-group, re-strategize, and re-tool their internal and external communication plans. The terrorist attacks on the United States created a crisis in the tourism industry, and have proved challenging even to experienced managers of corporate communication. This investigation examines the post-crisis communication efforts among convention and visitors bureaus (CVB) managers responsible for promoting travel to their destinations. Two theoretical underpinnings serve as the framework for the study: crisis communication theory and strategic communication management. The study examined the tools tourism managers use to promote travel to their destination, how they have redesigned their promotional messages, and how they have redirected their target market focus in the wake of 9/11. Further, this research investigates how the tools used (advertising, tourism marketing, public relations, new media) serve as predictors for redesigning promotional messages and redirecting target markets.