Right here’s How A lot the Authorities Shutdown is Costing US Travel

UPDATED: 3:00 p.m. EST, October 19, 2025

According to the U.S. Travel Association’s real-time cost ticker, the federal
authorities shutdown (which has been ongoing since October 1) has now value the nation’s
tourism sector near $2.6 billion up to now.

Meanwhile, these
who’re nonetheless touring within the U.S. face longer
waits at airport safety as TSA brokers — who’re required to work with out
pay whereas the federal government shutdown persists — name out sick en masse. 

Air site visitors
controllers are in the identical boat — that’s, compelled to work unpaid hours with
the promise of receiving backpay as soon as the federal government reopens — and have additionally continuously
been calling out sick, to the purpose the place Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened
to fireplace those that accomplish that.  

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Original Text: 

The U.S. journey financial system has misplaced over $1 billion for the reason that authorities shutdown started on October 1, in line with the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). 

The affiliation, which advocates for legal guidelines that assist the journey trade throughout the United States, warned concerning the financial influence of a possible shutdown in late September. A shutdown is at the moment costing the journey trade about $1 billion every week the federal government is closed. 

“This shutdown is doing real, irreversible damage,” stated Geoff Freeman, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Travelers are facing longer TSA lines and flight delays. Airports are reducing flights and we’ve seen entire control towers go dark. The longer this drags on, the worse the cascade of damage will be—for local communities, for small businesses and for the country. Congress needs to act now and reopen the government.” 

“Travel keeps America moving. When travel is delayed and services are disrupted, the ripple effects reach every corner of our country,” added Freeman.

USTA is at the moment working a calculator of the true influence of the shutdown on its web site. It reached $1 billion on Wednesday, October 8, and continues to rise.  

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