NTA to Assist NPS with Group Fee Increases
LEXINGTON, KY, September 25, 2007. The National Tour Association is a long-time advocate for equitable and reasonable entrance and user fees at America's national parks. Because of a longstanding partnership with the National Park Service, the two groups have been able to ensure that visitors have equal access to the national parks. As a result of recent meetings with NTA and the park service, there will be no increases in National Park group entry fees until 2010.
"NTA continues to work on behalf of its members on issues related to visitation and fees at these treasured national sites," said NTA Chairman and CEO Randy Julian. "NTA appreciates the conscientious effort by NPS to respond to the Department of Interior's directive to insure that the agency receives public input whenever their agency decision- making will directly impact one of their private sector partners."
While entrance fees for individual travelers did increase in 2007 at many park sites, and will increase in 2008 and 2009 at additional sites, NTA and NPS have worked to ensure that group fees will remain at the current rates until 2010. Additionally, the industry will be notified of the 2010 rates by August 2008.
NTA Vice Chairman Bob Hoelscher, CTP, is a longtime park advocate and plans on building on the cooperative efforts between NTA and the NPS during his year as NTA chairman in 2008.
"While NPS has historically agreed to give NTA at least 12 months notice of any group fee increases, they built extra lead time so that tour operators can adequately prepare for the 2010 increase," said Hoelscher. "Additionally, NTA will participate in the process that will ultimately determine what those 2010 rates will be, as well as how they will be configured."
"The opportunity for timely input has prevented serious financial and operational hardships for NTA tour operators and their clients," added Julian. "It is rewarding to work with our park service partners on fee and management regulations before they are locked in."
The National Tour Association was established in 1951 as a unified voice to fight legislation in the newly formed packaged travel industry. Today, NTA's government relations activities include monitoring security issues, as well as state and federal legislation and regulatory issues affecting the travel and tourism industry. NTA maintains full-time representation in Washington, D.C., to serve as the association's voice on Capitol Hill. Additionally, NTA empowers its members to be advocates for the association on the local level, as well as to provide support for NTA's positions on national priority issues through its Grassroots Action Network. For more information on NTA's government relations activities, please visit www.NTA.travel or call 800.682.8886.
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