Only 21 percent of conventions rebooked with King Day. (state holiday honori ng Martin Luther King Jr.)

Only 21 percent of the conventions Phoenix lost because of the lack of a paid state holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. have been rebooked since the holiday was enacted.

The loss in economic impact from the conventions that remain canceled is estimated at more than $140 million.

Arizona's acceptability as a destination was restored overnight last Nov. 2 when voters approved a paid day off for state workers in honor of the slain civil-rights leader.

However, the total losses attributed to the five-year controversy will take years to replace, hospitality experts say.

Organizers of 166 conventions of various sizes pulled out of the Valley because of …