USA: National parks increase entrance fees for foreign visitors

A visit to one of the famous national parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon is one of the absolute highlights for many travelers to the USA . But in the future, this natural experience will become noticeably more expensive.

The reason for this is a new decree by US President Donald Trump, which will significantly increase entrance fees for foreign visitors to the country's national parks. American citizens, on the other hand, will benefit from unchanged prices.

Trump justified the measure by arguing that US taxpayers already contribute to the maintenance of the parks through their taxes and yet still pay the same entrance fees as foreign visitors. This is unfair, Trump said at a campaign event in Iowa. His goal: more revenue for nature conservation, but less of a financial burden for his fellow citizens, in keeping with his well-known slogan "America first," reports the German Press Agency.

Entrance fees for foreign travelers to Grand Canyon National Park are also set to rise.

Source: IMAGO/imagebroker

According to the White House, the additional fees from the increased entrance fees would generate hundreds of millions of US dollars. These funds will primarily be used for conservation projects and to help address an existing backlog of maintenance work in the national parks.

In addition to higher prices for foreign guests, the decree also provides for priority for US citizens in reservations and permits. This particularly applies to campsites and limited access quotas, which often sell out early during peak summer seasons in popular parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone .

Admission to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee is free.

Source: imago/Danita Delimont

How much more international travelers will have to pay in the parks in the future has not yet been announced. Details on the practical implementation of the new access system for locals are also still pending. Previously, visitors paid the same entrance fee regardless of their nationality—for example, $35 per vehicle in Yellowstone, Yosemite, or the Grand Canyon. Some parks, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, however, do not charge admission.

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