The US National Park Service has said it will begin charging millions of international tourists an extra $100 to enter some of the country's most popular sites, while excluding them from fee-free days that will be reserved for American residents.
Tuesday's announcement declaring “America-first entry fee policies” comes as national parks deal with the strain of a major staff reduction and severe budget cuts. They are also recovering from damage suffered during the recent government shutdown and significant lost revenue due to fees not being collected during that time.
The fee change will affect 11 national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, according to the Department of the Interior.
As part of the changes, which are set to take effect on January 1, foreign tourists will also see their annual parks pass price jump to $250, while US residents will continue to be charged $80, according to the department's statement.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a video posted on social media that the changes will allow international visitors contribute to help preserve and maintain these treasured places".
"We’re making it easier and more affordable for Americans to experience the beauty and freedom of our public lands!" he said in a post accompanying the video, outlining the changes to come in 2026.
A White House post on X setting out the increased fees ended with the phrase: “AMERICANS FIRST.”
The announcement follows a July executive order, in which President Donald Trump directed the parks to increase entry fees for foreign tourists.
The money raised from the new fees will help support the national parks, including through maintenance and upgrading of amenities for visitors, the Interior Department said. Before the shutdown, the National Parks Conservation Association predicted the parks would miss out on about $1 million per day in fee collections, in addition to millions in retail sales and visitor programmes.
The US Travel Association estimated that in 2018, national parks and monuments saw more than 14 million international visitors. Yellowstone reported that in 2024, nearly 15 per cent of its visitors were from outside the country, which was down from 30 per cent in 2018.
It comes amid a general downturn in international tourism to the US. The US Travel Association said in an October report that international tourism was expected to decline more than 6 per cent in 2026, the first decline since the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in 2020.
The “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” next year include Veterans Day, which was one of the parks' eight free days open to everyone in 2025.
Mr Burgum said in his video that one of the fee-free days includes July 14, Flag Day, "which is also, fittingly, President Trump's birthday".
