The government shutdown is having a harmful economic impact, including to the tourism industry, according to a statement by several group tour and travel associations: the American Bus Association,
the United Motorcoach Association, the International Motorcoach Group, Ontario Motor Coach Association, Student Youth Travel Association, the National Tour Association, the International Inbound Travel Association, and the United States Tour Operators Association .
From the official press release, “We recognize that neither side wants to concede to the other, but this prolonged political fight will have negative impacts on the country – and our industries – for months and possibly years to come. Our members are already experiencing hardships and loss of revenue from the shutdown.” They urged Congress and the Administration to end this prolonged fight.
Delta Airlines recently reported seeing its revenue decrease by $25 million in the month since the start of the shutdown, another component of the travel industry in which the shutdown is taking a toll. The statement by industry associations relayed that their member businesses are unable to take groups to many key tourist attractions, which impacts their business revenue as well. This includes National Parks, the Smithsonian Museum, and the National Zoo.
“We call on Congress and the Administration to act swiftly to reopen the government to get our fellow Americans back to work and keep our economy growing,” the groups urged.
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