Without the passage of a federal budget by Nov. 17, the U.S. government will shut down — just before the peak holiday travel season. The resulting travel hassles could cost the industry nearly $1 billion each week, according to research from the U.S. Travel Association and Ipsos. This is just one of several issues of concern that U.S. Travel has prioritized for immediate action. Among others:
FAA Reauthorization
Authorization of the Federal Aviation Administration expired on Oct. 1 and has been extended temporarily through the end of this year. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill in July to reauthorize the FAA for five years, but the Senate “needs additional time to consider and reach final agreement on a multiyear FAA bill,” per a statement by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “Make no mistake: Enacting a long-term bill as soon as possible is a top priority, as a series of short-term extensions will be detrimental to the FAA, airport infrastructure improvements and the aviation industry,” he noted in late September.
Hospitality Staffing Shortfalls
The leisure and hospitality sector added only 19,000 jobs last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' October employment report — a significant decrease from the average of 52,000 jobs that have been added per month over the past year. In a positive development, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Nov. 3 that it will grant 65,000 additional H-2B temporary worker visas for FY 2024. This action will help fill the 1.2 million jobs that remain open in the leisure and hospitality sector, but additional bipartisan solutions are necessary to expand this program permanently.
Aging Air-Travel Infrastructure
Air travelers are ready for security advances: Nearly 60 percent of recent air travelers believe it’s time for the government to update airport security to use more advanced technology. Modernizing air-travel systems to create a more seamless and secure infrastructure will be a key topic of discussion at U.S. Travel’s Future of Travel Mobility Conference [https://www.thefutureoftravelmobility.com], taking place Nov. 15 in Washington D.C.