Florida vacations – start yours at Tampa International Airport

For those who think all airports are the same, think again! Tampa International Airport (TIA) has been voted one of the top five layover airports in the world by Huffington Post, because of its simple hub and spoke design, pay per use lounges, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour food options and friendly staff. That’s not the only reason that a Florida vacation that begins at TIA starts well – the airport is committed to providing a great experience for all travelers, today and into the future.

 

Tampa International Airport – the future of vacation travel

TIA is located at 4100 George J Bean Pkwy, Tampa, FL 33607, USA, a vast airport site that gives the city many imaginative options when planning how to meet the needs of its millions of vacation travelers.

Back in 2011, the airport team began to update the master plan that manages the use of the 3,300-acre site. Three phases of expansion have been planned to accommodate a further 17 million passengers every year, bringing the total vacation rental and holiday trade to over 35 million annually.

What makes the TIA process fascinating is that the airport has chosen a ‘build as required’ approach, so that minimum disruption to current passengers is balanced by the needs of this ever-growing tourist center. So, for example, Tampa International Airport car rental is being made easier by creating a 2.6 million square foot purpose built rental center at the airport entrance, alongside new airport parking.

Historical Tampa – from the air

In 1928 Tampa City built Drew Field, six miles west of downtown Tampa. Beginning in 1938 Drew was a military airfield, used as a training center for 120,000 combat air crews in the European and Pacific theaters. In addition, locally based antisubmarine patrols flew from the field until that duty was taken over by US Navy and Coastguard. Aircraft flying out of Tampa included the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, North American AT-6 and North American B-25 Mitchell. Tampa reverted to commercial flights after the war ended becoming a popular destination for travelers from around the world.

Traveling through Tampa International Airport

For those who are fascinated by air travel, there is an excellent master plan to the airport alterations that gives every detail that an airport buff could require. For less enthusiastic visitors, a simple Tampa International Airport map shows why this airport is beloved by the jet-lagged – the wheel shaped layout makes it so easy to find your way around, no matter how long your flight has taken.

Cigar City Brewing, as mentioned in our Top Ten post, Colombia Restaurant – the oldest continually owned restaurant in the hands of the same family – and Goody Goody, a ‘50s themed hamburger restaurant which is a local favorite, can also be found on the airport site.

TIA recently became the first airport in Florida to receive the StormReady designation, certifying that they have met an extensive list of criteria set by the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) in ensuring the airport is prepared and ready to respond quickly to any severe weather heading our way.

Just six miles from downtown Tampa, this international airport has one other great benefit for long-haul passengers – it’s a hop and a skip from the city center and onward travel to vacation rentals like ErehwonRetreat. With five stars for cleanliness, and four stars for seating and queuing times on the Kytra site, Tampa is highly considered as a friendly, clean and swift to navigate airport, great marks, particularly given its international status.

Florida vacations begin here

A record-breaking 60.7 million tourists visited Florida in the first half of 2017 – a 4.1% increase on travelers over the same six months the previous year. The breakdown is 53.2 million domestic visitors, alongside 2.2 million Canadians and 5.3 million other overseas vacation travelers.

Tampa International Airport parking just got easier too … alongside the new parking center, there are three rideshare companies now authorized to pick up fares: Uber, Lyft and Wingz. These three alternatives to the classic airport taxi will help reduce congestion around the airport and give visitors more choice on how to get to their vacation destination outside the airport. Whether you’re flying from within the USA, or traveling long-haul from the other side of the world, there can’t be a better way to start your Florida break than at Tampa International Airport.