by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 1:45 PM ET, Mon October 13, 2025
The ongoing shutdown of the U.S. federal government is causing concerns far and wide, including among travelers.
American travelers, in particular, are especially worried about government operations grinding to a halt, more so than foreign travelers, according to the latest Global Rescue Fall 2025 Traveler Safety and Sentiment Survey, conducted by The Global Rescue Companies.
“The data shows that Americans are significantly more alert to the potential impact of the shutdown,” said Dan Richards, CEO of The Global Rescue Companies and a member of the US Travel and Tourism Advisory Board at the US Department of Commerce.
Travelers are most worried about the possibility that prolonged closures—especially at smaller consulates and government offices—could delay essential documentation or disrupt travel planning, the survey found.
Specially, the data shows that:
- 40 percent of US respondents said they were very or somewhat concerned about shutdown-related disruptions—compared to just 25 percent of foreign respondents.
- One in three Americans (32 percent) said they're not concerned.
- Nearly one-third of foreign travelers (32 percent) said the issue was not applicable to them, suggesting less direct exposure to the effects of a U.S. government closure.
There were also slight differences in opinion about the government shutdown based on gender. Women,
for instance, were more than twice as likely as men to say they were
very concerned about the shutdown’s travel impact (22 percent vs. 10
percent).
However, when combining those who were somewhat or
slightly concerned, attitudes were nearly identical—44 percent of women
and 44 percent of men expressed moderate concern.
Roughly a third of men (32 percent) and one in four women (25 percent) said they were not concerned.
“These
findings underscore how government disruptions can shape traveler
confidence,” Richards said. “Americans, more than foreign travelers,
appear to be watching closely for signs that a prolonged shutdown could
affect their mobility and travel security.”
The government shutdown continues to hamper air travel in the United States. As
of October 13, the total delays within, into, or out of the
United States today had reached 3,482, according to the flight-tracking
website FlightAware.com. There’s also been 449 cancellations.
Long
wait times at TSA checkpoints and delays for flights are common now as
TSA workers work without pay and air traffic controllers do, too.
As
some are calling in sick, leading to critically understaffed ATC
towers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seems to be walking back on
his unwavering support for air traffic controllers, telling a journalist
on Fox Business that those who take sick leave during the government
shutdown might lose their jobs, even though the nation’s ATC is
critically understaffed.
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