Nearly 500 destinations, hotels and travel associations urged Congress to reopen the government ahead of the Thanksgiving travel rush, saying the consequences of a continued shutdown could be economic devastation in communities nationwide.
In a letter to congressional leadership, the U.S. Travel Association and organizations and companies representing every sector of the travel industry said that with Thanksgiving, "the busiest travel period of the year, imminently approaching, the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically devastating to communities in every state."
The letter states that America's travel economy has already lost more than $4 billion due to the shutdown, which has placed "extraordinary strain on federal personnel who are essential to keeping America moving -- from Transportation Security Administration officers to air traffic controllers, who are forced to work without pay.
"When staffing shortages worsen, airport wait times grow longer and flight delays and cancellations become more frequent, threatening to derail family travel plans across the country," the letter says, adding that last year, more than 20 million passengers took flights in the U.S. during Thanksgiving, which it called one of the most economically important travel weeks of the year.
"Travel spending during the holiday generates billions of dollars in economic activity, supporting jobs, local tax bases and small businesses nationwide. A continued shutdown is likely to significantly suppress travel demand and spending, creating a real threat to American workers, businesses and the overall economy."
Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said that if the shutdown continues into the holiday, "travelers will pay a heavy and completely unnecessary price in terms of delays, cancelations and lost confidence in the air travel experience."
"Thanksgiving should be about spending time with family, not worrying about flight disruptions or canceled plans," Freeman said, adding that a survey of Americans in 2023 found that 60% would consider canceling or avoiding trips by air during a shutdown until the government fully reopens. "Congress needs to do its job. The fastest way to restore confidence and restart travel is to reopen the government by passing a clean continuing resolution."