The U.S. Congress yesterday passed a continuing resolution to fund the federal government and end the 43-day government shutdown. The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), AAHOA, the U.S. Travel Association (U.S. Travel) and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) all released statements welcoming the end of the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
AHLA
Rosanna Maietta, AHLA president/CEO, released the following statement:
“The American people deserve a working government. It’s time to get back to work so that we can restore critical funding and services that support millions of people, including travelers and those working in travel-related fields.
“Over the past several days, the federal workforce designed to support and oversee our travel ecosystem began to show cracks at the seams. In light of these conditions, nearly 20% of Americans have indicated that they cancelled or changed their Thanksgiving travel plans. The economic uncertainty associated with the shutdown, coupled with the reality of travel disruptions, rattled consumer confidence, leading to trip cancellations and decreased future bookings.
“With restored funding and staffing for essential services, consumers will once again be able to make plans and travel with certainty. We urge Congress to reach a long-term budget agreement ahead of the next deadline. Neither travelers nor the millions of small businesses that are the backbone of the hotel industry can afford another shutdown.”
AAHOA
AAHOA said it welcomed the reopening of the federal government, as the weeks-long shutdown disrupted travel, slowed economic activity and created uncertainty across the hospitality industry.
“Hotel owners are on the front lines of America’s economy,” said AAHOA Chairman Kamalesh (KP) Patel. “Every day the shutdown continued, it put more small businesses and jobs at risk. We’re relieved to see government operations resume so the focus can return to supporting economic stability and growth.”
Laura Lee Blake, AAHOA president/CEO, said, “Our members operate nearly 20,000 hotels, supporting more than 1 million direct jobs across the nation. The shutdown has delivered a palpable jolt to local economies and small business owners. Reopening the government is essential to restoring confidence and helping the hospitality sector regain its footing.”
Earlier this month, AAHOA joined more than 30 other hotel and hospitality organizations in highlighting the economic impact of the shutdown. Each day of closure was estimated to cost the U.S. economy roughly $31 million in hotel-related activity, with the industry losing approximately $650 million since the start of the disruption.
U.S. Travel Association
According to U.S. Travel, more than $6 billion in travel spending was lost during the shutdown. Geoff Freeman, president/CEO, U.S. Travel, issued the following statement:
“All government shutdowns are irresponsible—period. They jeopardize essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain. If Congress ever goes down this foolish path again, essential federal workers—like air traffic controllers and TSA agents—must be paid without interruption. America cannot afford another self-inflicted crisis that threatens the systems millions rely on every day.
“This resolution restores stability to the people and systems that keep travel moving—but it must also drive long-term change. Congress should invest in the modern infrastructure, technology and workforce needed to keep America moving forward.”
GBTA
The GBTA also welcomed the news of the passing of the continuing resolution to reopen the government through Jan. 30 and provide back pay to federal workers.
“It’s reassuring to see things moving in the right direction,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “The impact of the shutdown has been of huge concern to our members, with U.S. travel management company members polled only this week increasingly concerned about TSA-mandated flight reductions at major U.S. airports. We hope that flight schedules will quickly return to normal. Productive business travel is a cornerstone of a healthy U.S. economy, as well as relationship building in times of economic uncertainty. Going forward, we hope Congress can continue this collaboration as they revisit the budget at the end of January.”
The past 43 days have led to concerns across the business travel sector, which plays an important role in the lives of Americans and the U.S. and global economies. Business travel is a critical contributor to the U.S. economy, contributing $421 billion annually in direct spending according to GBTA’s 2024 U.S. Economic Impact Study. As the U.S. government resumes critical federal operations in the travel sector, the association said it remains committed to working with policymakers to support the millions of corporate travelers and corporate travel professionals who depend on U.S. travel infrastructure.
