Visitation to the national park system in 2017 was almost identical to the record-setting 331 million recreation visits in 2016, and many parks continue to experience significant growth and to set records. In fact, of the parks that report visitation statistics, 16 set records in 2017.
Increased levels of visitation are creating challenges in some parks, and the National Park Service is committed to providing high-quality visitor experiences while ensuring the conservation of these special places. There is an acute need for investment in the parks, and President Trump has proposed legislation to establish a Public Lands Infrastructure Fund to help address the maintenance backlog.
The National Park Service has also announced changes to fees for independent and commercial entry to the parks as well as to fees associated with commercial use authorizations. These changes reflect feedback received from the public and the travel industry in response to initial proposals released in October 2017. The funds generated will address critical infrastructure and maintenance needs, improving visitor experiences. For details about these changes, visit nps.gov/tourismprogram.
Several sites, including Acadia, Arches and Zion national parks, are establishing visitor use management plans. These plans may affect commercial operators, and the travel trade is encouraged to participate in the planning process and provide comments and feedback at parkplanning.nps.gov. You are also welcome to contact park staff or me to ask questions and stay informed.
National parks are important motivators of travel to and within the United States. According to the Department of Commerce, visiting national parks and monuments is the third-most popular activity for overseas travelers when they come to the U.S.
With global tourism volumes forecast to rise from 1.3 billion international arrivals in 2017 to 1.8 billion by 2030, the popularity of national parks, along with many other marquee sites and attractions around the world, presents a challenge to the travel industry. Destination managers and policy makers are applying a range of tactics to ensure great visitor experiences while maintaining the character of destinations and sites.
The strong growth in global travel also presents an opportunity for tourism product development, and the national park system includes dozens of spectacular, lesser-known sites the travel trade can consider for tours and itineraries. Sites like Washington’s Olympic National Park, Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve and Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts are close to gateway cities and offer great visitor experiences that are alternatives to busier parks.
California’s Lassen Volcanic National Park, for example, is an incredible hidden gem, home to steaming fumaroles, clear mountain lakes and jagged mountain peaks, with a fraction of Yellowstone’s visitation. There are 417 units of the national park system, with at least one in every state and five of the territories, plus thousands of historic and natural landmarks and national trails to consider for tour itineraries.
The possibilities are endless, and the National Park Service offers resources the travel trade can use to research parks, activities, and itineraries; a database of photos and videos, many in the public domain and available for commercial use (please check the rights of individual files); travelogues that highlight park essentials; travel ideas and trip advice; and centralized information about CUAs, park passes, events, accessibility, safety and more.
Explore the “Plan your visit” and “What we do” resources at nps.gov/tourismprogram.
Donald Leadbetter is tourism program manager for the National Park Service and has attended Travel Exchange to share the latest parks’ information with NTA members. Contact him at donald_leadbetter@nps.gov.
Top photo: Lassen Volcanic National Park’s painted dunes (near Mineral, California)
Photo by I-Ting Chiang
