(NEXSTAR) — Simply weeks after the Division of the Inside’s budget proposal for fiscal yr 2026 instructed a surcharge for some national park visitors, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order calling for simply that.
The order, signed Thursday, directs Inside Secretary Doug Burgum to develop a “technique” to spice up income and enhance leisure experiences at nationwide parks, The Hill reported last week. As a part of that, entrance charges and the associated fee for a recreation go are meant to rise for “nonresidents.”
Worldwide guests don’t presently pay extra to go to the nationwide parks than U.S. residents.
The White Home stated the worth hikes will make nationwide parks extra inexpensive for American households.
This is what we learn about Trump’s order and the Inside Division’s funds proposal.
Inside funds: Surcharge would usher in $90M
The Division of the Inside’s budget proposal for fiscal yr 2026 stated a surcharge will assist carry in additional than $90 million, however did not define how.
“There might be a billion-dollar income alternative with out discouraging guests,” Burgum said throughout a Home Committee on Pure Assets oversight hearing in June. He did not broaden on how the additional charge might carry in additional than $90 million, and the Division didn’t reply to Nexstar’s request for extra data final month.
An evaluation by SFGate, utilizing an estimate that 14.6 million worldwide guests went to U.S. nationwide parks final yr, decided that if the parks noticed the identical variety of guests in 2026, the required surcharge to succeed in the aforementioned funds objective could be about $6 an individual.
Charges for out-of-towners aren’t unusual
“I believe we’re manner undercharging, as a nation, for worldwide guests,” Burgum said throughout June’s oversight hearing. Burgum pointed to different worldwide venues the place Individuals and different non-resident vacationers are charged greater than locals, just like the Galapagos Islands. There, non-Ecuadorian adults should pay a $200 entrance charge, in money, to the Galapagos Nationwide Park. The doorway charge for kids is $100. In the meantime, Ecuadorian residents over the age of 12 pay $30 whereas the charge for youthful residents is $12.
Residents even have discounted or free admission to widespread vacationer sights world wide. Faculty-aged residents of the European Union have free entry to a number of museums inside member international locations, together with the Louvre and The Orsay Museum in Paris. Vacationers pay over 20 instances extra to go to the Taj Mahal than native residents do.
Hawaii will start charging a “Green Fee” tourist tax subsequent yr to be able to generate funds for mitigating future environmental challenges the state expects to face. Chicago’s Field Museum presents discounted admission to metropolis residents. Residents of the state of New York are in a position to pay no matter they like to go to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, although they’re required to pay no less than one penny per ticket. Even Disney World and Disneyland supply offers for individuals who reside close to their parks.
What Trump’s order requires
Relating to worldwide guests at nationwide parks, Trump’s order requires elevated charges for overseas guests, in addition to a value hike for the America the Beautiful Pass and “any site-specific company or regional multi-entity passes” which might be offered to overseas guests.
The America the Beautiful Pass is presently out there at varied value factors and supplies free entrance into nationwide parks and federal leisure lands. An annual go, out there to “everybody,” is $80. A senior annual go is $20, whereas a senior lifetime go is $80. Others could qualify for a free annual or lifetime go.
The worth hikes, in accordance with Trump’s order, apply solely to these parks that cost entrance or recreation go charges. At present, only 106 of the 475 websites which might be managed by the Nationwide Park Service charge an entrance fee.
Neither Trump’s government order nor the Inside Division’s funds outlined how a lot entrance and go charges might rise.
Elevated income from nonresident guests would then be used to “enhance the infrastructure of, or in any other case improve enjoyment of or entry to, America’s Federal leisure areas.”
Value hikes include proposed funds discount
Whereas the overseas customer charges might carry in additional income for the parks, the Trump administration has additionally proposed chopping the Nationwide Park Service’s staffing budgets and repair operations by 30 p.c, The Hill reports.
In the meantime, the Inside Division’s funds proposal is requesting $2 billion for the nationwide parks, down greater than $1 billion from the present funds. It might be the most important reduce in NPS historical past, in accordance with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA).
Nonetheless, Trump’s order requires efforts to extend customer capability at America’s nationwide parks, spend money on infrastructure on the websites, and enhance park entry to American households by making certain they “obtain precedence entry in any allowing or reservation methods.”
The Nationwide Park Service had its biggest year of attendance in 2024, with greater than two dozen websites seeing document visitation.