In preliminary 2026 budget documents just released, the U.S. Department of the Interior has proposed the implementation of entrance fee surcharges for international visitors to national parks—a common practice globally with the potential to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to address crumbling infrastructure, improve visitor experience, and enhance conservation efforts nationwide.
Earlier this year, PERC CEO Brian Yablonski penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed (gift link) and met with Secretary Burgum and the Interior Department on the need for just such a surcharge, building on more than five years of PERC’s research into the subject.
Yablonski praised the Department of the Interior in a new statement:
“Asking international visitors to pay more to visit America’s national parks is not just fair, it is a smart, market-driven way to address maintenance needs so that our beloved parks remain pristine for future generations. PERC has championed this idea for years, and we are thrilled to see the administration working to implement it.”
PERC has explored a number of ways to effectively implement a surcharge that would raise significant revenue to support the parks without deterring visitation. The below model outlines a possible revenue projection from PERC’s latest research:
Stay tuned for further updates.
