IITA Advocacy Update: National Park Issues Discussed Directly with Interior Secretary Burgum
IITA Advocacy Committee member Jonathan Farrington, President and CEO of Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau, recently met with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum during his visit to Yosemite National Park on a Saturday to celebrate National Trails Day.
The discussion with Farrington and other local park and community leaders covered a broad range of issues affecting the future of national parks and the visitor experience, including technology initiatives currently being implemented throughout the park system, traffic management strategies, parking and congestion challenges, efforts to reduce entrance gate wait times, and opportunities to improve the overall visitor experience for both travelers and the tourism industry.
The group also discussed ongoing changes within the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service, including efforts to strengthen staffing levels and enhance park operations.
Importantly for IITA members, Farrington raised concerns regarding the implementation of the new international visitor fee program and the operational challenges it presents for international group travel. He outlined the unintended consequences facing inbound operators and over-the-road tour companies, including the inability of many operators to comply with current requirements, data privacy considerations under international regulations such as GDPR, and the lack of a workable mechanism for commercial group tours.
As part of the conversation, Farrington provided Secretary Burgum with a letter from IITA outlining the industry's concerns and several practical solutions that would allow the National Park Service to meet its funding objectives while creating a workable system for commercial tour operators and international visitors.
IITA’s recommendations included:
- Temporary Exemption or Postponement for Group Tours - Due to a lack of a group tour plan, NPS should either temporarily exempt group tours or postpone implementation of the non-resident fee requirements for commercial group tours until workable systems are fully operational.
- Commercial Group Tour Pass / Voucher Program - Implement a commercial group tour pass/voucher that could be purchased online in advance by the operator, whereby the operator would pay for the required number of international visitor fees. The credential could be valid for specific tour dates or for a fixed period such as 30 days.
- NPS Existing Tour Operator Wholesale Pass Program - NPS has an existing wholesale program whereby passes are not tied to individual consumers at the time of purchase and can be distributed operationally by the operator.
- Authorized Third-Party Seller Program - NPS has authorized third-party sellers in the past and could implement a similar program that would include tour operators, hotels, visitor centers, or other authorized vendors so passes are available at other locations to avoid delays at park entrances.
According to Farrington, Secretary Burgum demonstrated a clear understanding of the issues and acknowledged that he was already aware of the concerns being raised by the industry. The Secretary indicated that discussions regarding these challenges are ongoing within the Department and that members of his staff would follow up on the issues and proposed solutions.
IITA appreciates Farrington’s leadership and advocacy on behalf of the international inbound travel industry. We remain committed to working collaboratively with the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service to identify practical, operationally feasible solutions that support both park funding goals and the continued success of international visitation to America's national parks.
IITA will continue to keep members informed as these discussions progress.