With Delta's help, Martin Luther King Jr. park in Atlanta reopens

The U.S. Travel Association says the shutdown is costing their industry more than $150 million a day and some 82 percent of tour operators say they've made changes to their itineraries.

Thanks to an $83,500 grant from Delta Air Lines, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta was open Monday for the holiday honoring its namesake, despite a partial government shutdown.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced the news on Friday via his LinkedIn page, saying he was “honored” to support King’s legacy by funding the historical park through Feb. 3. Delta is headquartered in Atlanta.

“These historic landmarks represent the strength of our community and should always be made available for the public to enjoy,” Bastian said. “I’m honored and humbled that Delta Air Lines will continue supporting Dr. King’s legacy.”

Martin Luther King Jr. birth home, Atlanta [Courtesy: Delta]

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The National Historical Park includes King’s birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, historic Fire Station No. 6 and the park’s visitor center. All of those tourist sites are federal entities and have therefore remained closed as a result of a 28-day partial government funding lapse, which is officially the longest in U.S. history.

Delta’s grant covered the re-opening of the park, cleanup, administration, maintenance and operating costs of employees.

An earlier version of this story was published Friday, Jan. 18, 2019.