Reinvesting in parks has been a priority for the travel and tourism industry for several years, and NTA has been a consistent advocate. We have supported numerous bills in Congress that have advocated for more public and private investment in U.S. National Park Service sites and have advocated for more funding during Destination Capitol Hill and administration outreach.
Our message is that to ensure all visitors continue to have great experiences, we must invest in national parks to maintain historical preservation, provide recreational opportunities and retain the parks’ contributions to the American experience.
NTA has been equally as loud in insisting that the burden of supporting the parks should not fall on the shoulders of visitors. The federal government has a role in investing in and protecting federal lands. NTA was dismayed, then, when it learned in an Oct. 24, 2017, press release, the National Park Service was considering raising fees at 17 of the system’s high-traffic parks during peak season in an effort to resolve the mounting deferred maintenance backlog.
The proposal involved increasing admission pricing and road-based commercial tour fees. These hikes would have gone into effect within six months, causing uncertainty and high costs to be imposed on tours that were booked in the interim.
There was a limited public comment period, from Oct. 24 to Nov. 23, which NTA viewed as inadequate for addressing the complex and onerous nature of the proposed fees. NTA spearheaded a response letter to the agency on behalf of eight associations involved with U.S. national parks.
The letter expressed strong concern about the lack of a staged implementation period to equitably implement the fee increase into tour packages, thereby placing a significant burden on tour operators and users of the parks. We expressed concern about the reasonableness and size of the proposed increases, and also pointed out that each bus can take up to 55 cars off the roads, reducing the traffic congestion and negative environmental impact that personal vehicles can have at the parks.
Last year, the National Park Service celebrated its centennial anniversary. That same year, NPS recorded a whopping 330 million recreational visits, a significant increase from a record-breaking 307 million visits in 2015. We argued that if the proposed fee increases were implemented, those record numbers would go stagnant.
Following our letter—and feedback from industry—NPS extended the comment period to Dec. 22. In total, 109,000 comments were logged, and many of them were against the proposed increase. NTA and several letter signees followed up and met with high-level representatives of NPS and the Department of Interior. We expressed concern about the impact the proposed increases would have on small businesses, such as NTA tour operators and local supplier members, and voiced opposition to the quick time frame in which the fees were to be implemented.
On April 12, NPS announced that instead of raising entrance fees sharply at the 17 parks originally chosen, the agency would instead implement only slightly higher fees, to be spread more broadly across the system. NTA is pleased that NPS officials responded to the concerns expressed by your association and by thousands of national parks visitors.
We recently submitted to NPS a request on behalf our members and other associations seeking clarity on a number of fee-related issues. While we support increased investment in the parks, we will seek remedies that are more timely and equitable.
Keep watching Courier and NTA’s Tuesday e-newsletter for updates on this important issue in the coming weeks and months.
Signal Group is a Washington, D.C., lobbying firm retained by NTA to advise members about travel-related issues and legislation.
Top photo: For the past 18 years, Zion National Park has used shuttle buses to limit passenger vehicle access and lessen environmental impacts on the park.
Photo by National Park Service
