World Series Draws Fans to Tampa Bay, Pushing Airport Traffic Toward Peak Levels

Baseball fans from across the country are streaming into the Tampa Bay area as the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays meet in the World Series. Visitors have been arriving at Tampa International Airport from places including Alaska, Texas and Maryland ahead of the games on Sunday and Monday, and some Rays fans are also coming back to the region to watch the action.

The surge is being felt at the airport during what is normally a quieter stretch of the year. A Tampa International Airport spokesperson said nearly 80,000 travelers were expected to pass through each day on Sunday and Monday. That figure is closer to what the airport sees during spring break and holiday periods than to the 55,000 to 60,000 passengers it typically handles at this time of year.

For some fans, the journey was a long one. Josh Walker, a longtime Brewers fan who now lives in Alaska, said he never expected to see his team reach this stage. "I've been a long time Brewers fan. I never thought I would see the day, so I had to make the jump and come all the way down here to see the game," Walker said.

Walker described the trip as largely spur of the moment, and said it was his first visit to the Tampa area. He and his group have not planned much else, but intend to explore during the day. "Probably the benefit of having games at eight o'clock at night," he said.

Sandy Gorski grew up in Milwaukee but has lived in the Dallas area for the past 17 years. She decided to make the trip after her sister's family had the chance to use her sister's season tickets back home. "I told her, 'you know what? I'm going to go to Tampa, and I'm going to go to Game 4,'" Gorski said.

Tourism leaders say the series is lifting businesses across the region, including hotels, restaurants, attractions and entertainment venues. Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, said the games add to tourism activity already under way, even though much of the baseball spotlight is on the Pinellas County side of the bay.

"Rising tides lift all boats and the rising tide for this year's World Series is there in Pinellas County, and we couldn't be more complimentary and supportive of their efforts," Corrada said. He said the expectation is for a bigger bump than the region would see without a World Series across the bay, calling it "a cherry on top of all the other things that we've got going on."

Corrada added that major events can create extra demand for workers across the hospitality industry, from restaurants and hotels to museums, attractions and theaters.

Visit St. Pete-Clearwater describes the games as an "economic injection" for the region's economy. Major League Baseball estimates that postseason games can generate up to $7 million per game in economic impact for the region.