, with
the most pronounced increasesin the Asia/Pacific and Middle East/Africa regions, according to STR Global. April rates in the Americas were up 3.3 percent, and occupancy was 61.2 percent, up 4.7 percent. In Asia/Pacific, rates were up 14.6 percent year over year, despite a 2.1 percent drop in occupancy, due largely to occupancy declines in Japan following the March earthquake and tsunami. Year-over-year comparisons in Europe are difficult, according to STR, because of the massive travel shutdown following Iceland's volcanic eruption last year. STR Global managing director Elizabeth Randall said longer-term trends show "steadily improving occupancy and average room rate performance since March 2010."