It’s not just the Ruby’s Inn customers who canceled trips to Bryce Canyon National Park over the holiday that have the hotel’s general manager Lance Syrett worrying about the federal government shutdown.
SALT LAKE CITY — It’s not just the Ruby’s Inn customers who canceled trips to Bryce Canyon National Park over the holiday that have the hotel’s general manager worrying about the federal government shutdown.
«We’ve had an OK Christmas break,» Lance Syrett said, even though last-minute bookings are down enough that dozens of rooms have stayed empty during the already week-old shutdown that’s expected to continue through the new year.
But he fears the real impact of money running out to operate national parks and provide other federal government services isn’t going be felt for months, because travelers planning now for trips later in the year are choosing different destinations.
«In the hotel industry, right after Christmas is kind of our biggest booking window,» Syrett said. «Just the bad press and everything that’s going on… you’re going to have that dampening.»
That’s what happened in the year following the October 2014 federal government shutdown, he said, calling any national park closures «devastating for future business,» including from international visitors.
Some travelers coming from closer to home already changed their minds about traveling to Bryce during what is usually one of the busiest times of the year, Syrett said.
«We definitely had cancellations. They’re just telling us, ‘Hey, the park’s shut down. We’re not coming,'» he said, despite the state coming up with money to keep Bryce along with Zion and Arches national parks functioning through the end of the year.
The Utah Office of Tourism will have spent nearly $55,000 to keep visitors centers open and provide limited janitorial services at the three parks since the shutdown began Dec.
