USA Today recently reported that many of the nation's most poorly performing hospitals are located in highly trafficked top travel destinations.

According to the article, some two dozen hospitals with the highest death rates in the country are located near popular travel destinations. Among the top 10 worst are two hospitals in Dallas and another in Vegas.

This kind of negative media attention is of little comfort to travelers and can be damaging to the destination's reputation and the businesses that count on tourism to stay afloat.

Keeping up with these negative stories as they arise and quickly following up with more positive PR efforts are ways hotels, casinos and conference centers in these areas can combat the negative attention and keep travelers coming back.

Information is amplified online, reaching more people more quickly than any other medium. Therefore, a solid reputation management strategy is an important element for any online marketing initiative.

Does hospital quality ever dictate your travel plans? Let us know...