In another “America First” revenue move, President Trump signed an executive order on November 28, 2025 that imposes a US$100 per-person surcharge on foreign tourists entering 11 flagship U.S. national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. The fee, which comes on top of existing entrance charges, will take effect January 1, 2026. Non-residents will also pay US$250 for an annual America the Beautiful pass — more than three times the domestic price — and will no longer qualify for the six annual fee-free days.
According to the Department of the Interior, the surcharge will funnel an estimated US$240 million per year into trail maintenance and wildfire mitigation. Interior Secretary Catherine Coleman argued that U.S. taxpayers currently shoulder 80 % of park upkeep while international guests account for roughly a quarter of annual visitation. Tourism economists counter that higher costs will deter long-haul visitors, especially group tours from Europe and Asia, and could undercut gateway economies that rely on international spending.
![Foreign Visitors Face New $100 Surcharge at Top US National Parks]()
Corporate travel managers should anticipate higher per-diem costs for incentive trips or board meetings held in park lodges. The surcharge joins a series of fee hikes that affect foreign travellers, including the ESTA jump to US$40 and new I-94 land-border charges that launched in September.
The executive order directs the National Park Service to deploy new ticketing kiosks that verify nationality via passport or mobile-phone NFC scan. Carriers transporting tour groups will be liable for unpaid surcharges, echoing the carrier-sanctions model used in immigration enforcement. Travel associations such as U.S. Travel have requested a carve-out for foreign students and scientific researchers; the Interior Department says only that “hardship waivers” will be reviewed case-by-case.
The policy does not affect U.S. citizens living abroad, who may still pay the lower domestic rate as long as they present a U.S. passport. However, dual nationals entering with a foreign passport will be treated as non-residents.
According to the Department of the Interior, the surcharge will funnel an estimated US$240 million per year into trail maintenance and wildfire mitigation. Interior Secretary Catherine Coleman argued that U.S. taxpayers currently shoulder 80 % of park upkeep while international guests account for roughly a quarter of annual visitation. Tourism economists counter that higher costs will deter long-haul visitors, especially group tours from Europe and Asia, and could undercut gateway economies that rely on international spending.
Corporate travel managers should anticipate higher per-diem costs for incentive trips or board meetings held in park lodges. The surcharge joins a series of fee hikes that affect foreign travellers, including the ESTA jump to US$40 and new I-94 land-border charges that launched in September.
The executive order directs the National Park Service to deploy new ticketing kiosks that verify nationality via passport or mobile-phone NFC scan. Carriers transporting tour groups will be liable for unpaid surcharges, echoing the carrier-sanctions model used in immigration enforcement. Travel associations such as U.S. Travel have requested a carve-out for foreign students and scientific researchers; the Interior Department says only that “hardship waivers” will be reviewed case-by-case.
The policy does not affect U.S. citizens living abroad, who may still pay the lower domestic rate as long as they present a U.S. passport. However, dual nationals entering with a foreign passport will be treated as non-residents.
