US Travel Industry Reacts to Bipartisan Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown

When it comes to politics, yes, things can change that quickly.

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Less than a day after stating the potential impact of a government shutdown, the U.S. Travel Association quickly had to reverse course when the lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal on Saturday.

The agreement keeps the government running until March.

U.S. Travel is the main broker to recruit interested parties in coming to the United States. It acts like the ministers of tourism in countries do when it comes to that aspect.

U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman issued the following statement on the passage of a bipartisan funding bill:

“Lawmakers arrived at the right decision to pass a bill that provides both certainty for critical federal travel operations and disaster relief for hurricane-devastated communities across the southeast. Let’s hope that how we got here isn’t a precursor for all of the important decisions ahead.”

Meanwhile, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) President & CEO commended federal lawmakers but expressed regret that the legislation does not contain AHLA-backed initiates to protect consumers from hidden lodging fees.

“AHLA appreciates lawmakers coming together to avert a government shutdown, which would have caused significant travel disruptions this holiday season. We are disappointed, however, that the lodging fee transparency provisions AHLA has championed were not included in the end-of-year congressional spending deal,” said AHLA President & CEO Rosanna Maietta.

"We believe federal legislation is still the best way to create a clear set of fee-display rules for consumers, hoteliers, and other industry participants. We will continue to work with lawmakers in both parties and the new administration to ensure there is a nationwide standard for fee-inclusive lodging display rules.”

U.S. Travel warned that a government shutdown could cost the U.S. travel economy $1 billion per week, noting that previous holiday shutdowns cost the U.S. economy $11 billion.

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