The US federal government shutdown entered its second week on 15 October, furloughing 750,000 workers after funding failure for the 2026 fiscal year.
National parks are operating at reduced capacity, with over half of 14,000 staff furloughed and visitor centres closed at sites including Grand Canyon and Yosemite.
Aviation delays have affected major airports, following last week’s 12,000 flight delays and 200 cancellations due to air traffic controller shortages.
Entrance fees generated €1m daily in October for trash collection and maintenance, while states like Utah and Colorado provided local funds. Tourism losses exceeded €1bn since 1 October, with projections of €1bn weekly and 225,000 jobs at risk.
President Donald Trump shared the impasse resulted from Democratic demands on spending cuts.
