Donald Trump has issued a new executive order that will change how travelers travel to some of the most popular tourist spots in the United States.
A lot of individuals from all over the world dream of taking a “American road trip” in a campervan to see some of the many beautiful places in nature that the US has to offer.
Some people intend to spend their regular holidays outside, and there are 63 National Parks in the US with a lot of amazing things to see and do.
But if you want to visit some of the national parks in the US on your next vacation, you might need to save up more money because Trump has issued an executive order that says the national park system should charge foreigners more to get in.
The directive tells Doug Burgum, the Interior Secretary who is in charge of the National Park Services, to come up with a strategy that would eventually raise the prices of entrance and recreation passes for people who don’t live in the United States and want to visit the national park.
The directive is about national parks that charge admission fees. Trump said the action is meant to “put America first.” Currently, the cost of admission varies from park to park that charges.
The order was made public at a ceremony in Iowa on Thursday, July 4. The president said that to pay for improvements and make the parks better for everyone, I have signed an executive order that raises the entrance price for international visitors but keeps expenses low for Americans. America will come first in national parks.
Trump told the Interior Department to give US citizens “preference over those to the US” when it comes to any “recreational access” requirements that might be in place, such as a lottery or permit rules.
The president’s order also gave the Secretary of the Interior the job of “encouraging the international travel industry to America’s national recreational areas and parks,” even if it meant raising prices.
Trump also canceled the letter that was written at the end of Obama’s second term to make national parks more diverse and welcoming when he signed the order.
We don’t know when the fee increases will go into effect or how much they will go up by.
But reports say that in May, the Interior Department sent out a budget plan for fiscal year 2026 that included an estimate of the levy. It predicted it might bring in an extra $90 million each year.
The executive order came after the Trump administration declared the National Park Service a target for budget cuts. Since Trump took office in January, the National Parks Conservation Association says that the service has lost around 25% of its staff.