How A Government Shutdown Would Hit U.S. Travel And National Parks

A partial solar eclipse is seen as the sun rises behind the Capitol Building in Arlington, Virginia.

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A looming U.S. government shutdown could deliver a devastating blow to the nation’s travel economy, costing an estimated $1 billion every week, according to a new warning from the U.S. Travel Association.

Yesterday, the U.S. Travel Association sent a letter urging Congress to act quickly to keep the government open.

The Association warned that a shutdown would be a “wholly preventable” blow to the travel industry. However, if it were to happen, the strain would be too much for an already overextended federal travel workforce.

A shutdown would also disrupt air and rail travel and lead to longer Transportation Security Administration (TSA) lines, flight delays and cancellations.

The Association also projected that national parks could close or fall into disrepair, museums and federally owned attractions would shutter and visitor experiences would diminish.

A recent Ipsos survey, as quoted in the announcement, found that 60% of Americans would cancel or avoid air travel if the government were to shut down, which would likely cause a ripple effect through local economies across the country.

What Is The Congress Voting On?

In its 2026 budget request, the National Park Service (NPS) sought $2.1 billion, including $99.5 million for construction, $12 million for activities and $11 million for historic preservation.

This request was already significantly less than the $3.3 billion NPS received under the 2025 continuing resolution.

2025 National Parks Crisis At A Glance

In February, approximately 1,000 NPS employees, including probationary workers in Yosemite National Park, were terminated as part of a broad federal reduction-in-force.

It prompted protests at iconic sites, such as El Capitan, where climbers displayed an upside-down American flag in distress, drawing attention to a national park system they said was in crisis.

In March, President Donald Trump released an executive order named ‘Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History’ to remove signs and displays about the painful chapters of U.S. history.

By April, as many as 2,400 NPS employees considered leaving under a new federal offer.

In May, the NPS suspended air-quality monitoring programs across national parks by halting contractor work, which threatened environmental oversight at dozens of sites, as reported by The Washington Post.

In July, the Trump administration issued another executive order named ‘Making America Beautiful Again by Improving Our National Parks’, and proposed raising park entrance fees. A plan critics said would harm visitors without addressing deeper funding shortages.

Since January, the NPS has lost 24% of its permanent staff, and critical maintenance funding is set to expire later this year.

In response, staff at Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks voted overwhelmingly (97%) to unionize. Now, the National Federation of Federal Employees represents a coalition of over 600 staff members.

What Will Happen To National Parks Past The October Deadline

Bill Wade, executive director at Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR) explained in an email interview that if Congress does not pass a budget by October 1, two scenarios are possible: either national parks would be closed or they would remain open without proper funding.

“ANPR and other like-minded organizations have sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging him to close the parks,” said Wade. “This is the most effective way to protect visitors and the park resources since under this scenario, visitors would not be allowed to legally enter national parks during the shutdown,” he added.

If the parks to remain open Wade explained that “only “essential” employees would continue to work. All other (nonessential) employees would be furloughed and receive no pay.”

What would that mean for visitors? “Anyone would be allowed to enter, but would be at risk of slow or inadequate response to emergencies such as accidents, search and rescue,” Wade noted.

He expects entrance stations and visitor centers to shut down, ranger-led programs to be suspended, and campgrounds and picnic areas to close. Routine maintenance such as trash collection and restroom cleaning would also come to a halt.

He also warned that without staff oversight, the worst-case scenario could include increased vandalism, poaching, looting of battlefield artifacts, and “pothunting” in archaeological sites.

“Obviously, we hope there is no shutdown. If there is, we hope parks can close to protect visitors and the resources of the parks that this nation’s citizens have invested in for over 150 years and have revered as the world’s premier national park system,” he said.