Getting tourists back is even more important for the community than it is for hotels. A recent analysis by Deloitte showed that for every $1 spent at a hotel, almost $1.50 is spent on outside businesses for activities like transport and entertainment.
 

Mr Peter Hourigan, General Manager for the Hilton Phuket Arcadia said, �Not only will our staff and their families benefit from the return of business, but hotels sustain a broader supply chain from operators who take visitors to dive sites, farmers and fishermen who supply produce, through to the florist who decorates the lobby.

�We estimate that for every conference with 100 delegates, we engage around 145 people both within and outside the hotel. Diverting a meeting to an affected destination will not undo what has happened. But it is a very encouraging sign for the people during these bleak times.� 

Hourigan added that more than 85 percent of the island�s 32,000 rooms are �in full swing and ready to welcome visitors. The infrastructure is back up and functioning, conference hotels are open, beaches such as Kata and Karon are clean and some of the deep-level diving sites are undamaged,� he said. 

Said Mr Koos Klein, President of Hilton International, Middle East and Asia Pacific, �The global neighbourhood has been overwhelmingly generous in their support for the stricken provinces. But what Phuket and Asia needs now, is for the leisure and business tourist to return. Contribute to affected areas in the most effective manner possible, by redirecting your next conference, meeting or event to Asia�s holiday coast.�

The 685-room Phuket Arcadia Beach Resort was rebadged Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa in October 2004 following a multi-million dollar renovation program and a stunning transformation. Set in 75-acres of landscaped gardens, the resort has the largest conference and meetings facilities on the island of Phuket.

Hilton International (HI), an operating division of the UK based Hilton Group plc, owns the rights to the Hilton brand name throughout the world, with the exception of the USA where the Hilton brand is owned and managed by Hilton Hotels Corporation (HHC).