ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) – Tampa International Airport saw about 80,000 travelers per day leading up to Game 3 of the World Series, compared with a normal amount of about 20,000 people per day.
The Tampa Bay Rays trail the Milwaukee Brewers three games to none. Game 4 is at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
According to previous World Series numbers, a World Series game can generate $10 million to $12 million.
St. Petersburg and Tampa both hope the Rays win Tuesday to force more baseball to be played. A Rays loss would end their season.
Brian Loak, CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater, said the World Series is a shot in the arm for some hotels that might be at half capacity ahead of snowbird season.
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Some Brewers fans are in the area on vacation. One fan said attending the World Series in St. Petersburg cost less than attending in Milwaukee.
“We were able to bring our two younger kids, TJ and Case, and so we were actually able to travel here, stay in Airbnb, and go to all three games for the price it would have been for us to go to Milwaukee, which is three hours from our house, to one game,” the fan said. “So definitely a lot more reasonable to come here.”
Asked whether the fan was hoping for a Rays win Tuesday so there would be more games, the fan said, “I mean, not really, because a clean sweep would just be ideal, I guess.”
The Rays lost Game 3 on Monday, 10-1. Businesses in the area are preparing for fans to return to support the team Tuesday.
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