If US Congressional lawmakers do not agree to the new fiscal year spending package starting October 1st, it could lead to federal shutdowns.
And that could mean a major travel disruption for US travelers and international visitors. You can feel the impact of longer airport lines, disrupted itineraries and US national park closures. Furthermore, a large loss in tourism revenue can have a major impact on the US travel industry.
Many airport employees, including air traffic controllers, need to appear at work (as they are classified as essential), but they do so without pay and may have staffing issues.
The broader impact on the US travel industry is important and will come when many tour operators and hospitality industry workers are upset by the shortage of Canadian travelers.
Here’s what travelers need to know:
The flight continues to take off, but the aviation department falls into obsession, which probably means some delays and cancellations.
Air traffic controllers and transport security management employees with staff at airport security checkpoints are usually considered important workers and must continue their work, but they work unpaid.
According to the plan, the transportation division announced in March will be closed with more than 13,000 air traffic controllers continuing their unpaid work even after the budget expires.
The lack of staffing during past closures has contributed to the groans of the planes, which could lead to longer security lines.
In January 2019, the decision by 10 air traffic controllers to call for illness helped end that closure. Their absence temporarily shut down travel at New York’s Lagardia Airport, causing delays in other major hubs, including New Jersey, Philadelphia and Atlanta, leading President Trump to agree to temporary government funding measures.
The closure also affects government efforts to strengthen the US air traffic control system. U.S. Transport Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced on September 23 that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will employ air traffic controllers for fiscal year 2025 to introduce more than 2,000 new controllers, but training for those new hires will almost certainly be delayed by shutdowns. According to a plan released in March, activities to be stopped during the closure include hiring air traffic controllers, field training for controllers and analyzing performance of air traffic performance.
Even if the government closes, Amtrak trains will continue to roll. Spokesman Beth K. Toll told CNN he is confident that he can “ensure that in the next few days and weeks, Amtrak will remain open for business.”
Amtrak receives public funds but operates as an independent agency.
Travelers to the country’s national parks could have a major impact, and it has influenced some of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States.
The closure will ensure that all 433 park sites across the country are fully or partially closed, according to the National Park Conservation Association, an independent advocacy association. Those looking to explore the national park may find gates closed or doors locked. Alternatively, they may have access to the park, but they will not pay admission fees or find available visitor services.
Where parks approach, the lack of visitors will affect the local economy that will benefit from spending by people living in parks at restaurants, gas stations and other businesses.
The association’s president, Teresa Pierno, said the stakes were even higher than the previous closure.
“Our national parks are already in crisis,” she said in a statement on the association’s website. “The closure will hit thousands of staff, emit millions of revenues from the park’s tourism-dependent communities, put the protection of historic and natural resources at stake, and overturn the plans of countless visitors.”
However, the impact on the national park site has been very different with recent closures.
In 2013, an estimated 8 million recreational visits were lost during the 16-day shutdown, according to the association citing data from the National Park Service. Meanwhile, during the latest closure in 2019, there were no visitors services available, but many parks remained open.
The state is also intervening to use its own funds to keep some national parks open. When the shutdown loomed in the fall of 2023, Utah said it would maintain its powerful five-parks, including Arch, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Theon. Arizona had planned to operate the Grand Canyon. Colorado also said it would keep four national parks and other federal lands open.
The Utah state government posted a message on its website this week that officials are monitoring events in Washington with national park funding and are trying to protect Utah national parks.
“We are working to make these areas accessible in the event of a federal closure,” the message reads.
CNN contacted Arizona and Colorado to comment on their plans this round.
Museums and other sites
Some of the nation’s most visited museums, including the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, could be affected by the closure. The Smithsonian, which bills itself as the world’s largest museum complex, oversees 21 museums and the National Zoo. Most are located in Washington, DC, but two are – the Design Museum Cooper Hewitt and the American Indian National Museum – in New York City.
It may also be closed during closure. It is one of America’s most important monuments. This is the Statue of Liberty, a national park, a park.
NPS will not say whether the statue will close or not, but spokesman Kathleen Kuroraj said visitors should check the website at www.nps.gov/stli.
Passport and visa
A State Department spokesperson told CNN on Monday: “Our domestic and international consul businesses will remain open, including passports, visas and support for US citizens abroad.”
During previous closures, the State Department said that U.S. embassies and consulates around the world are not funded primarily through the annual budget, so anyone applying for a visa or seeking consular services can do so without worry.
CNN’s John Fritze, Camila DeChalus and Annie Grayer contributed to this report.
