How the Government Shutdown Will Affect Vacations

by Kimberly Blozie

The federal government shut down could put a damper on people's vacation plans. The government shuts down began today Oct. 1 and tourists are not be able to enter the Lincoln Memorial, Independence Hall, the Statue of Liberty and other attractions run by the National Park Service.

Travelers already camping in national parks will have two days to leave.

In Washington, D.C., all 19 museums and galleries run by the Smithsonian Institution as well as the National Zoo will be closed. Not only will the zoo close, but so will the popular live animal cams, the zoo announced on its Twitter feed. That's right, the baby panda cam has gone dark.

"We must close, and federal employees are not permitted to work," says Linda St.Thomas, chief spokeswoman for the Smithsonian Institution.

St. Thomas says it's too risky for schools to hoof it to D.C., and she expects school trips to be canceled this week. She says there is no count of how many school groups flow through the museums and zoo. She says last week all the institutions saw a combined 400,000 visitors.

Air travel will likely not be affected as air-traffic controllers and airport screeners will continue to work.

"At this point, we do not expect airline operations to be impacted," says Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for Airlines for America, which represents the industry.

She says the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection have told the group "that front-line employees would not be subject to shutdown-related furloughs that would affect the traveling and shipping public."

Airlines, too, say they expect business to continue as usual.

"We do not anticipate any impact to our operations as a result of the shutdown, as it will not affect the Transportation Security Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration and/or the air traffic control system," Southwest Airlines spokeswoman Brandy King says.

Amtrak, which relies on federal subsidies, says it will operate as normal.

"Amtrak will continue normal operation of its national intercity and high-speed passenger rail network during a short-term federal government shutdown," Amtrak said in a statement. "Passengers planning to travel on Amtrak trains in the Northeast Corridor and across the country in the coming days and weeks can be assured that Amtrak will remain open for business."

For those wanting to travel internationally, the U.S. State Department will continue to issue passports and visas because funding for those services comes from fees rather than appropriations, State Department spokeswoman Laura Seal says.

The one caveat is that some passport offices are located in federal buildings that would have to shut down. She advises travelers to call their local passport office before showing up.

U.S. embassies and consulates around the world will remain open, she says. "American citizens overseas will continue to get support," she says.

Tourism officials in various cities point out that there will be plenty for travelers to do while the government is shut down.

Although travelers can't climb up the Statue of Liberty, they can still see it from the water. Statue Cruises will still be operating from 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily. The Staten Island Ferry will continue to run every 30 minutes and pass by the statue.

In the nation's capital, there are many private museums that will remain open, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Newseum and the International Spy Museum.

Let Rawhide Travel and Tours help you with all your reservation needs. Call us at (602) 843-5100 or visit our website: rawhidetravel.com.

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