Trump’s ‘America First’ national park fees for foreign tourists have raised a quarter of what was promised

Six months after the federal government began charging foreign tourists an additional fee to enter select national parks, the funding has only generated $22.5 million, far less than the initial $90 million projection, according to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. The Congressional Research Service has noted that projecting this revenue has been difficult due to the lack of systematic data collection on international park visitors.

The policy, announced last November and taking effect on January 1, increased the cost of an annual America the Beautiful pass for foreign visitors from $80 to $250, or $100 per person on top of standard entrance fees at 11 of the busiest parks. Burgum attributed the shortfall to an early growth stage rather than failure, claiming the policy has established a sustainable funding stream for the park system.

However, the rollout faced challenges, including difficulties in determining the residency status of park visitors and concerns over the potential sharing of residency data with other federal agencies. The U.S. approach differs from international practices, as other countries like the Louvre, Kruger National Park, and Masai Mara have implemented similar fee structures for foreign visitors.