Trump Raises National Park Entrance Fees for Foreign Visitors
In a move that has drawn attention for its dual impact on both public finance and tourism, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday raising entrance fees for foreign visitors to the nation's national parks. The decision comes at a time when the Trump administration is also proposing significant cuts to the budget of the National Park Service (NPS).
The White House issued a statement saying that the additional revenue generated by the fee increases will be used to fund environmental conservation projects and address delayed maintenance work aimed at improving facilities within the country's national parks. The administration anticipates that this policy could generate hundreds of millions of dollars to help cover the costs of these initiatives.
"The goal is to reinvest in our national parks by enhancing the visitor experience, improving infrastructure, and preserving these iconic landscapes for future generations," said the White House statement.
The executive order directs the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees the National Park Service, to raise fees for foreign visitors. However, specific details about the fee hikes or their implementation date were not disclosed. It remains unclear how many of the 433 national park sites managed by the NPS will be affected by this change, though only about 100 parks currently charge entrance fees, with prices varying widely across locations.
This development comes on the heels of the Trump administration's proposal to slash more than $1 billion from the National Park Service's budget for the fiscal year 2026, a cut of over one-third compared to the previous year's funding. The proposed reduction in the budget has raised concerns about the long-term sustainability of the parks' operations and conservation efforts.
Despite the financial pressures, national parks have seen a surge in visitors in recent years. Last year, a record 331 million visitors flocked to U.S. national parks, a 6 million increase from 2023, highlighting the continued popularity of these public lands among both Americans and international tourists.
The fee hike for foreign visitors is seen as part of a broader trend of cost-cutting and revenue-generation measures employed by the Trump administration, which has faced criticism for reducing funding for public services, including environmental programs. Some critics have argued that the increased fees could deter international tourists from visiting U.S. parks, potentially impacting the broader tourism industry.
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