Letter: Charge foreign visitors more to visit parks

Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002 | 8:58 a.m.

I was delighted to read in the Oct. 13 Sun the debate between J. Bishop Grewell and Michael Frome over the Fee Demonstration Program for our national parks. While they, respectively, made sound arguments for and against keeping the Fee Demo Program, neither proposed any alternative. I submit an obvious alternative.

Prior to moving to Las Vegas 11 years ago I spent three years as a tour guide taking small groups of foreign tourists from one national park to the next. One reason I moved here was to have easy access to places like Zion, Bryce, Grand Canyon and Death Valley, all of which I enjoy on a regular basis. In all my visits to national parks I have never overheard a conversation about the excessive cost of the entrance fees. The conversations I do overhear on a regular basis I don't understand. They are in Japanese, French, German, Dutch or the heavy accents of England and Australia. I propose that we double, triple or quadruple the entrance fees to our national parks for all non-resident visitors.

Some in the tourist industry may cry "foul." They will claim it will hurt their business. Let's see why this argument holds no water. Most parks charge $20 per passenger vehicle. This is only $10 per person if just two people are in a car. The commercial vehicle fees vary based on the size of the vehicle, but the fees are still under $10 per person. I can't believe that anyone planning a trip from Japan or Germany will change those plans because the fee to see the Grand Canyon goes from $10 to $50. Or from $4 to $20. Any business dependent on foreign customers will see no impact.

The benefits of my proposal are easy to see. With extra cash from outside this country, we may actually be able to lower the fees to U.S. residents, while still providing the funds to protect and manage our national parks. This should make both Mr. Frome and Mr. Grewell happy.

BRAD B. GUSTAFSON