VanSlyke Turk, J., and Scanlan, L.H. (1999). Fifteen case studies in International public relations: The Evolution of Public Relations: Case Studies From Countries in Transition. Endorsed by the Public Relations Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications, 1999, THE INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS

Public relations has been an important part of the travel-and-tourism/hospitality industry for many decades, as evidenced by the large and highly professional Travel & Tourism Section of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Each year, practitioners enter in the PRSA Silver Anvil competition to promote leisure travel to a wide range of tourism and recreation sites. Such promotional efforts become more complex, however, when a site wants to promote its venue both as a tourism and as a business locale. The task becomes even more challenging when international visitors are sought who have relatively little knowledge about a geographic region that may be viewed by some as politically unstable, with uncomfortable weather and a barren landscape and a culture that may be unsympathetic toward others' perception of recreation. However, Dubai can be perceived by the well-informed tourist to be highly safe (Does a German tourist want to be carjacked in Miami or visit pleasant beaches where there is virtually no crime?), be viewed as "exotic" (yet with "First-World" amenities as well as an indigenous population that commonly speaks English) and as having a fascinating, rich and ancient culture.

PS: relevant piece starts on page 65