Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that will make a big change to travelers visiting some of the United States' most popular tourist destinations.
The idea of an 'American roadtrip' is a dream for a lot of people across the globe, with goals of packing up a campervan and hitting some of the vast, natural beauty spots that the US has to offer.
Other tourists plan to get out in nature as part of their regular vacations, with 63 national parks across the country offering all sorts of amazing sights.
However, those planning to tick off some of the national parks on their next trip to the US might have to set a little extra money aside for their budget, as Trump has now signed an executive order which calls on the national park system to charge bigger entry fees for foreign visitors.
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The order instructs Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversees the National Park Services, to 'develop a strategy' that will ultimately increase entrance and recreation pass fees for any non-US residents coming to visit a national park.
The order relates to any national parks that currently charge for entry, with Trump claiming that the move aims to put 'America first'. Currently, the cost for entrance fees vary across the parks that charge them.
Announcing the order at a rally in Iowa on Thursday (4 July), the president said: "To fund improvements and enhanced experiences across the park system, I've just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans. The national parks will be about America first."
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Doubling down on this idea, Trump ordered the Interior Department to give US residents 'preferential treatment' over visitors from outside the US when it comes to any 'recreational access rules, including permitting or lottery rules' that might already be in place.
However, the president's order also gave the Secretary of the Interior the task to 'encourage international tourism to America’s national parks and outdoor recreation areas' - even with a potential price hike.
In signing the order, Trump also revoked a memorandum that had been signed towards the end of Barack Obama's second term, which was intended to promote diversity and inclusion at national parks.
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It's currently unclear when the increase in fees may take effect, or how much they may go up by.
However, the Interior Department released an estimation on such a surcharge in its 2026 fiscal year budget proposal released in May, saying it could generate more than $90 million annually.
The executive order comes after the Trump administration made the National Park Service a focus of its budget cuts, having laid off approximately 24 percent of its permanent staff since Trump took office in January, according to analysis released by the National Parks Conservation Association.
Topics: Donald Trump, Travel, US News, Politics
Emily Brown