Donald Trump announced on Thursday an increase in entry prices to national parks for foreign tourists so that these places “are more affordable” for Americans. “I just signed a decree to increase entry rates for foreign tourists while maintaining low prices for Americans,” said the US president in Iowa during a rally that launches the year of festivities for the 250th anniversary of the United States.
However, several environmental defense organizations have alarmed hundreds of layoffs among national parks staff since Donald Trump returned to the White House last January, worried about the high summer assistance season.
Around sixty national parks
The United States is the home of sixty national parks, administered by the National Parks Service (NPS). Unlike the French national parks, entrance is paid in US national parks and a reserve is sometimes necessary for certain periods of the year. Currently, the entrance rate varies between 25 and 35 dollars (between 21.2 and 29.7 euros) per park and by car for a period of seven days. An annual pass of $ 80 (67.9 euros) gives access to all national parks.
According to NPS data, American national parks welcomed just over 94 million visitors in 2024, Americans and non -American. There are some emblematic national parks of the United States, such as the large Smoky mountains (12.19 million visitors), the Grand Canyon (4.92 million), Yellowstone (4.74 million), Yosemite (4.12 million), Acadia (3.96 million), the Valley of Death (1.4 million) or the Hawaii volcanoes (1.43 million).
Source: BFM TV
