WASHINGTON, D.C.
The U.S. Travel Association’s President and CEO Roger Dow spoke out on the effects of the federal government shutdown on the travel industry today, and U.S. Travel also shared stories from the field on the widespread financial fallout.
"Policymakers must understand that it's not just federal employees that are affected by the shutdown. Entire local economies are built around our national parks and historic attractions," Dow commented. "We're hearing from family-owned businesses who have had no choice but to send their employees home, with no idea when or if they will be able to call them back. And unlike federal workers, these workers have no expectation of getting their back pay when the government reopens."
The $2.0 trillion travel industry represents America's No.1 services export, and has added jobs at a rate three times faster than the United States economy as a whole since 2010—growth that is jeopardized by the government shutdown.
While essential travel functions like customs processing, TSA inspections and air traffic control are still in operation, the U.S.T.A. leader feels the travel community is damaged by the perception that travel to and within the U.S. is uncertain.
"Already you have countries like Germany telling their citizens to beware of problems and delays when traveling to the U.S.," Dow said. "With so much positive progress in place, our country doesn't need to take steps back in pursuit of welcoming millions of new international travelers. We urge leaders in Congress to realize that the longer this goes on, the worse the long-term implications will be for major portions of our economy."
