President Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Department to raise entrance fees at national parks for foreign tourists, aiming to increase revenue and enhance the visitor experience.

The administration argues this move promotes fairness for U.S. taxpayers and will help fund the lofty deferred maintenance backlog the NPS faces, despite concerns over simultaneous proposed cuts to park staffing.

Charging higher fees to foreign tourists is an innovative, market-driven strategy that C3 has long supported, leveraging demand to better fund “America’s best idea”. Read more on our take in “How Will an International Visitor Surcharge Benefit Our National Parks?” We applaud our friends at PERC for this great idea!