Tourism businesses seek end to government shutdown stalemate
Nearly 500 tourism businesses, including 12 based in Nevada, have signed on to a letter to congressional leaders from the U.S. Travel Association pleading for an end to the government shutdown stalemate.
MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment Inc., The Venetian, and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority were among the signees in a letter to four leaders of the U.S. Senate and House asking for “a clean continuing resolution to reopen the federal government.”
The letter comes as the shutdown closes in Tuesday on the record 35 days in 2018-19, and airports around the nation experience flight delays because some air traffic controllers, unpaid since the Oct. 1 start of the shutdown, aren’t reporting for work.
Representatives of Harry Reid International on Monday said the Las Vegas airport has experienced few delays as a result of the shutdown, but there’s always concern that problems at other airports could lead to local flight delays and cancellations.
The Monday letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is seeking to head off a decline in holiday travel that is weeks away.
“With Thanksgiving, the busiest travel period of the year, imminently approaching, the consequences of a continued shutdown will be immediate, deeply felt by millions of American travelers, and economically devastating to communities in every state,” said the letter, penned by U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman.
“Last year during Thanksgiving week, over 20 million passengers took flights in the United States,” the letter said. “Thanksgiving is not only a time of national tradition and family connection, but also one of the most economically important travel weeks of the year. Travel spending during the holiday generates billions of dollars in economic activity, supporting jobs, local tax bases, and small businesses nationwide. A continued shutdown is likely to significantly suppress travel demand and spending, creating a real threat to American workers, businesses, and the overall economy.”
Other Nevada letter signers included representatives of Aurora Event Team, Cultivate Advisors, Four Queens Hotel, Indigo Planning LLC, Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority, Malco Enterprises of Nevada Inc., Noble Studios and Tahoe Douglas Visitors Authority.
$1 billion per week
The U.S. Travel Association has estimated that the government shutdown is costing the travel industry more than $1 billion a week. A running total on the association’s website Monday estimated the total at $4.7 billion since the start of the shutdown.
Multiple votes to reopen the government have failed, and other milestones in the dispute came over the weekend when the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ran out of money resulting in millions of Americans going without food stamps and the end of subsidies to assist millions more pay for their health insurance.
Senate Democrats have prevented passage of a Republican measure to temporarily fund the government, and Senate Republicans have said they’ll only discuss subsidies after Democrats agree to reopen.
FlightAware, which tracks delays and cancellations at the world’s airports, on Monday confirmed that Reid International has been one of the least-affected airports in the nation. But airport officials have said some delays occur as a result of problems at other airports, and delays and cancellations are always possible as a result.
Reid officials recommend that travelers check with their airlines and arrive early to avoid problems.
Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.
