In a statement, U.S. Travel Association CEO Geoff Freeman said, “All government shutdowns are irresponsible — period.” He said shutdowns “jeopardize essential services, erode public confidence and inflict needless economic pain.”

Freeman continued, “If Congress ever goes down this foolish path again, essential federal workers — like air traffic controllers and TSA agents — must be paid without interruption.” America, he said, “cannot afford another self-inflicted crisis that threatens the systems millions rely on every day.”

The resolution ending the shutdown, said Freeman, “restores stability to the people and systems that keep travel moving — but it must also drive long-term change.” Congress, he said, “should invest in the modern infrastructure, technology and workforce needed to keep America moving forward.”

Rosanna Maietta, CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, said, “The American people deserve a working government.” She continued, “It’s time to get back to work so that we can restore critical funding and services that support millions of people, including travelers and those working in travel-related fields.”

Over the past several days, said Maietta, the federal workforce designed to support and oversee the travel ecosystem “began to show cracks at the seams.” In light of these conditions, she said, nearly 20% of Americans have indicated that they canceled or changed their Thanksgiving travel plans. The economic uncertainty associated with the shutdown, coupled with the reality of travel disruptions, said Maietta, “rattled consumer confidence, leading to trip cancellations and decreased future bookings.”