U.S. Travel Association Urges Congress to Prevent Shutdown Costing $1 Billion Weekly

The U.S. Travel Association is urging Congress to prioritize avoiding a federal government shutdown that would cost the travel economy an estimated $140 million a day or nearly $1 billion a week.

Failure to pass a new funding bill by the November 17 deadline would also compound government-related travel issues such as passport and Global Entry processing delays and lengthy visitor visa wait times, U.S. Travel warns.

“Of all the activities in the Capitol this week, none has produced legislation to fund the government ahead of the coming November deadline. Lawmakers must focus attention on governing and advancing a set of appropriations bills to keep the government funded and fully functioning,” Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U.S. Travel Association, said in a statement.

“A shutdown would cause disruptions for millions of Americans and threatens to cost the travel economy as much as $1 billion a week, an astonishing and avoidable scenario.”

A recent survey from Ipsos and U.S. Travel found that six in 10 Americans would cancel or avoid trips by air in the event of a shutdown.

“Each day that passes will cost the travel economy $140 million, an unacceptable prospect that Congress must avoid before the clock runs out and the damages mount,” U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement last month.

“The federal government is already failing the traveler—a shutdown would be further proof of Washington’s inability to find reasonable solutions to problems that affect Americans nationwide.