(AmericanProsperity.com) – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has released its new plans to deal with large numbers of travelers over the Spring Break period. The government agency said that numbers of passengers have returned to pre-pandemic levels and it expects to see these continue to rise. “In January, we experienced our first full month where travel volumes exceeded the same month in 2019,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.
New TSA plans include offering passengers a precheck membership facility that would allow travelers to wait less than 5 minutes at checkpoints nationwide. There will also be constraints on the amount of alcohol commuters may carry. Beverages with an alcohol content between 25% and 70% will be limited to 1.3 gallons per passenger.
Spring Break, the vacation period for universities and schools between March and April, is one of the busiest travel periods of the year. A favorite hotspot for students is Florida and in 2019, more than 65,000 arrived in Tampa Bay alone. Recent years have seen a major drop due to the pandemic, but in 2022, Floridians braced themselves for a return – however with some new restrictions in place on the Sunshine State’s coastline. Holiday-goers would no longer be permitted to erect tents or furniture on beaches, and live music would be limited.
More than 40% of college students travel within the country for Spring Break each year. They spend almost $1 billion in Florida and Texas alone. Panama City Beach, in Florida’s panhandle, is the most common destination and draws half a million students to its shores. That accounts for 42 students for every resident of the area. While the revelers do bring an economic boost, they also bring petty crime. According to police, it is the worst time of the year for public safety.
Given the propensity of students to spend as little as possible, a much greater tourism boost for Florida is in the summer months when families arrive.
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