Timeshares boost visitor housing stock . - June 2008

A 21.3 percent spike in the number of timeshare units in Hawaii, primarily Maui, led to a 1.3 percent increase in Hawaii's total visitor accommodation units, a study released yesterday shows.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism's 2007 Visitor Plant Inventory is a snapshot of accommodations available to Hawaii's visitors.

Timeshares have become increasingly desirable as global brands have helped clean up their image, according to Kelvin Bloom, president of ResortQuest Hawaii LLC.