Leaders from the nation’s top travel and hospitality associations are calling on Congress to act swiftly to reopen the government, warning that the ongoing shutdown is damaging the economy, disrupting travel and shaking consumer confidence ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Speaking during a virtual press briefing hosted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Rosanna Maietta, AHLA President and CEO, and Christopher Sununu, President and CEO of Airlines for America (A4A) and former Governor of New Hampshire, pressed lawmakers—particularly the House of Representatives—to follow the Senate’s example and pass a bill to restore government operations.
“Millions of travelers have been dramatically impacted by this shutdown. Their travel plans have been altered or canceled altogether,” Maietta said. “The entire travel ecosystem—travelers, the dedicated travel workforce, hotel owners and operators, the airline industries and the communities they serve—are struggling.”
Maietta noted that AHLA’s recent polling shows the financial and emotional toll of the shutdown. “Nearly 40 percent of respondents said the shutdown is impacting future travel intentions, and nearly 20 percent of Americans have already canceled or changed their Thanksgiving plans,” she said. “Main Street businesses just cannot afford this another day.”
The AHLA leader urged immediate action, emphasizing the importance of federal employees who have continued working without pay to maintain essential travel services. “We are grateful that the Senate has pushed through a measure to open the government,” she said. “We can’t afford another delay, and we need the House to do the same and stave off more travel chaos before Thanksgiving.”
From the airline perspective, Sununu echoed those concerns, calling the situation “devastating” for both travelers and the broader economy. “This isn’t a political football to be kicked around,” he said. “It’s affecting not just the airlines, but the entire American economy—the industries, the hotels, the lodging sector. You’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars per day hit to the American economy.”
Sununu said that flight cancellations, delays and staffing shortages for the FAA and TSA are rippling across the country. “The consumer is pulling back,” he warned. “Airlines and hotels are leading indicators of where folks are spending their money in the economy, and when you see folks start pulling back there, everybody is panicked a little bit economically about what would happen if the House decided not to move forward.”
Both leaders urged lawmakers to move beyond temporary fixes and pursue long-term protections for essential travel services. “We can’t keep shutting down travel and hospitality every time there’s a debate in Washington,” Sununu said. “The uncertainty of that is absolutely devastating.”
Maietta added that her association estimates daily industry losses of about $31 million, amounting to roughly $6 billion in lost economic activity since the shutdown began. “We felt it was important to come together today to reinforce that we need a functioning government open now. Americans deserve that,” she said.
Current Shutdown Status (11/12/2025)
According to Reuters, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote later tonight on a measure aimed at ending the nation’s longest-ever government shutdown, now stretching into its seventh week. The legislation, already passed by the Senate, would fund federal operations and provide back pay to impacted employees. Still, as of publication time, the House had not yet taken its final vote. Lawmakers from both parties have urged swift approval, warning that delays could worsen the economic toll and continue to undermine confidence in air travel and public services nationwide.
