The Government Shut Down (Again). But the Real Emergency? Still Relevance.

Well, well, well. Look who’s skipping out on their responsibilities again.

Congress said "BRB," and now we’re in a full-blown government shutdown showdown. National parks are blinking in and out of existence like bad WiFi. TSA agents are working for free and questioning their life choices. And somewhere, a tourism board just hit “pause” on everything because “we need to wait and see what the feds do.”

Bless your heart. And by that, I mean, WAKE UP.

This shutdown isn’t just a budget problem. It’s a magnifying glass. And what it’s showing us? Is spicy.

What’s Really Happening

While everyone’s watching the shutdown like it’s a Netflix drama, a few facts:

• National parks? Technically open, but services are cut, and a raccoon may now be the acting superintendent.

• Airports? Still moving, but with unpaid staff and increasingly bothered vibes.

• Museums, monuments, visitor centers? Closed or haphazardly operating on ghost energy.

• Visitors? Confused. Still coming. Still spending. Still wondering why Yelp is more helpful than your DMO’s homepage.

And here’s the worst part:

A lot of y’all didn’t need a government shutdown to already be operating in crisis mode.

A Few Things I’ve Actually Heard Last Month (I swear I’m not making this up):

• “We’re divided on short-term rentals, so… we haven’t done anything yet.”

• “We don’t talk about them publicly because our hotel partners wouldn’t like it.”

• “We had a Host program once, but it fizzled after Becky left.”

• “We have a grant for content, but we’re not sure what story we’re telling.”

• “We tried reaching out to STRs but got ghosted.”

Can we please stop treating short-term rentals like Voldemort?

They’re not a forbidden topic. They’re 2.4 million strong (in the US alone) and literally showing up uninvited to your tourism economy every day.

Also: if Becky’s departure killed your whole strategy? You didn’t have a strategy. You had Becky.

So Here’s What the Shutdown Teaches Us (That We Should’ve Known Already):

1. If your relevance depends on Washington, you never had it.

If the minute a federal visitor center closes you lose 80% of your programming… what were you programming? Tourism doesn’t shut down. Why do you?

2. Federal drama exposes local weakness.

If you're scrambling to tell visitors where to go now that the monument's closed, you waited too long. Build your Plan B while Plan A is still working.

3. Relevance = Resilience.

The shutdown won’t break your system. It will expose the fact that you never adapted it. If you’ve been resisting change, hoping the old playbook would come back… that ping you hear?

That’s the toaster oven of reality going off. Time’s up.

Side Gossip Worth Noting

While Congress shuts down:

• A handful of DMOs are finally waking up and asking, “Hey… what are we doing about STRs?” (Answer: Not much. But the panic is palpable.)

• Vendors are pitching AI content tools again and telling everyone, “just repurpose your brochures!” Like that won’t give your audience rabies.

• And yes, more influencer programs are being launched… for zero-trackable ROI. (But at least the reels are cute.)

Meanwhile, I’m over here building alignment strategies, rewriting the rulebooks, and trying not to throw a chair every time I hear “we’re waiting to see how this plays out.”

If you’re wondering where I stand: I’m in motion. Not waiting. Not hiding. Not holding out for permission.

I’m a dog with a bone, a whiteboard, and a vendetta. I’ve been whispering about this moment for three years.

I don’t care who funds it. I care who feels it.

Your Checklist for This Week

• Get your local comms plan ready.

• Stop pretending STRs are a side issue.

• Draft visitor language for “federal closures” NOW.

• Identify 3 partners who don’t depend on Washington to stay open.

• Ask yourself: if the power goes out, who still shows up?

And if all else fails:

Call me. I’ve got snacks, a plan, and zero patience for boring tourism.

And One Last Thing…

The shutdown might end next week. Congress will go back to yelling in khakis. And everyone will pretend this never happened.

But you? You’ll still be here. Trying to market a destination that may or may not have working bathrooms.

So please, for the love of tourism, travelers, and the ghost of Becky, stop waiting for a federal permission slip.

Start building like you’re the only adult in the room.

Because if this shutdown teaches us anything?

It’s that “hope” is not a plan, and “lol we’ll see” is not a leadership style.

I’m The Destruptor. And yes, I brought snacks.

But if the lights go out, I’m also taking your seat at the table.

xo, Jenn