TAMPA, Fla. — More people are flocking to Tampa Bay for Spring Break. Bay Area students will also be free all of next week.
Tampa International Airport claims it is projecting a record number of travelers: up to 90,000 people, possibly more, during peak days. On average, 60,000 passengers pass through the airport.
“It’s a big surge in ridership over spring break,” said TPA Vice President of Operations Adam Brouchard.
Brouchard said preparations have been made months in advance. Staffing increased across all lines of work at the airport.
The airport suggests that passengers arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours for international flights. Online parking reservation it is also an option to guarantee a spot in a preferred parking lot.
The Blue Express Curbside Line also allows passengers without checked baggage to bypass the ticketing level and arrive directly at the transfer level of the main terminal.
TPA also recently announced that it is the first airport in the country to partner with Uber Eats. Passengers can order ahead and pick up their food or drink without having to wait in line.
Visitors like Greg Ancel from St. Louis, Missouri, said he visited the area after 15 years. He visited to watch the Cardinals play the New York Yankees during spring training.
“The weather was excellent. The people were very friendly,” Ancel said. “Traffic is a bit heavy, but that’s traffic everywhere you go.”
AAA also claims 40% of Floridians plan to travel during spring break, according to a survey. That’s an increase from 26% last year.
“Previous spring travel seasons were impacted by COVID-19. However, Americans are largely confident of traveling again, and AAA has seen very strong bookings for beach destinations, cruise ships and attractions,” Debbie Haas, AAA’s vice president of travel, said in part.
Visitors contributed a direct impact of $4.5 billion in 2021, according to Visit Tampa Bay. Indirect and induced impacts resulted in a total economic impact of $7.1 billion for Hillsborough County alone.
