Like Taj Mahal in India, foreigners should pay more to enter US national parks: Senator

Washington, June 25

An influential US Senator has moved a laws searching for to cost an extra payment between USD 16 and USD 25 from overseas nationals visiting the nation’s nationwide parks, arguing India does the identical for monuments just like the Taj Mahal.

Such a proposal as an modification to the Great American Outdoors Act moved by Senator Mike Enzi is aimed to generate the much-needed fund required to keep up and improve a number of of the highest monuments and nationwide parks within the US.

To tackle the present upkeep backlog of parks, it might value practically USD 12 billion, based on National Park Service. In comparability, final yr, the whole finances for the National Park Service was USD 4.1 billion. The modification is totally offset and offers a everlasting resolution, the Senator mentioned.

“The way that my amendment works is by asking our foreign visitors, who as the numbers show are increasingly enjoying our parks, to pay USD 16 or USD 25 more when entering the country,” Enzi mentioned.

According to a research by US Travel Association, practically 40 per cent of people that come to the US from overseas are visiting one of many nationwide parks. That’s over 14 million individuals who come from overseas and go to nationwide parks, he mentioned.

“It’s great that people from all over the world recognise the value in these national treasures, but this increased visitation is adding to the maintenance backlog and it is only fair that we ask them to help maintain these national treasures,” he mentioned.

Enzi mentioned that there was nothing novel in regards to the idea as anybody who has visited an attraction outdoors the US has in all probability encountered such charges in a method or one other.

“For example, foreign visitors at the Taj Mahal in India will pay an USD 18 fee, compared to a fee of only 56 cents for local visitors. At Kruger National Park in South Africa, visitors from outside the country will pay a USD 25 fee per day, compared to a USD 6.25 fee for local visitors,” Enzi mentioned. 

Many European international locations like Spain, France, and Italy cost a vacationer tax on inns rooms that’s used to pay for tourism infrastructure, he added.

Enzi proposed to extend the home payment as nicely. 

“No one likes to pay more for things, especially during times like these, but to maintain these national treasures for future generations, we either borrow money and put it on the national credit card or we take some modest steps to address the issues responsibly,” he mentioned.

“My amendment only raises entrance fee by USD 5 and annual passes by USD 20, so bringing a vehicle into a park would still be cheaper than taking a family of four to a movie or visiting an amusement park for a day,” Enzi mentioned.— PTI