Recent ABA member survey shows proposed National Park fee changes would pressure tour operators, reduce demand, and threaten gateway economies.
A new member survey of tour operators and travel professionals shows how sharp, sudden National Park Service fee changes for commercial tours would place added strain on commercial group travel at a time when many businesses are already managing rising operating costs and softer demand in key markets. The findings underscore why this issue remains a top advocacy priority for the American Bus Association and an important focus for its group tour and travel members.
The survey, recently conducted in April, examined the likely effects of potential park-related fee increases, including on commercial tour and international visitors, alongside the broader economic pressures already facing operators. The results point to a consistent concern across respondents: additional fee increases would not be absorbed in a vacuum. Instead, they would compound existing challenges tied to inflation, fuel, labor, insurance, and shifting traveler behavior.
One of the strongest messages from the survey is that demand is highly price sensitive. Respondents reported that even relatively modest price increases are expected to reduce bookings, while larger increases are already contributing to cancellations, smaller group sizes, and weaker forward demand. International travel appears especially vulnerable, with operators reporting that higher total trip costs are making U.S. itineraries harder to sell and pushing some travelers toward alternative destinations.
“These survey results confirm what we have long known: higher costs for commercial tour operators will not just hurt our industry, they will also affect national parks and the communities that rely on visitor spending,” says Callie Hoyt, ABA’s Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations. “Commercial operators help visitors access parks safely and efficiently, reduce congestion through group travel, and generate real economic value for gateway communities.”
The financial implications are significant. Many respondents anticipate booking declines of 10% to 20% or more, along with annual revenue losses that in many cases could range from $50,000 to more than $100,000. Most also expect profit margins to tighten further, noting that fee increases cannot be fully passed through to customers without risking additional demand erosion. On average, respondents said they expect to recover only part of any increase through pricing and absorb the rest internally.
“When policy makes park tours harder to operate and less affordable, the effects extend well beyond tour companies. ABA remains focused on policies that protect park access without undermining the benefits commercial operators deliver.”
Callie Hoyt, ABA
Survey participants also indicated that these changes would likely alter the structure of their tour products. Expected responses include offering fewer national park tours, shortening itineraries, removing select parks or stops from routes, and shifting some business toward lower-cost alternatives. Over time, that could reduce reliance on national park-based itineraries altogether and reshape how operators build future packages.
The effects would extend beyond tour companies themselves. Group tours support hotels, restaurants, attractions, and small businesses in communities that serve as gateways to national parks. A reduction in tour volume would likely mean less visitor spending in those local economies, creating ripple effects well beyond the park entrance.
Timing is another major concern. Many tours are priced and sold 12 to 24 months in advance, leaving little room to absorb sudden cost increases after packages are already in market. Respondents expressed a clear preference for phased implementation, saying a gradual approach would allow operators to adjust pricing more realistically, reduce disruption for customers, and help avoid cancellations tied to abrupt changes.
For ABA, the survey reinforces the importance of continued engagement by group tour and travel members. National parks remain central to many group itineraries, and preserving practical, affordable access is critical to operators, travelers, and the communities that benefit from organized group travel. ABA will continue to prioritize this issue as part of its broader advocacy work, focusing on ensuring that policy decisions recognize both the economic realities facing operators and the value that commercial group travel delivers across the travel ecosystem.
“When policy makes park tours harder to operate and less affordable, the effects extend well beyond tour companies,” says Hoyt. “ABA remains focused on policies that protect park access without undermining the benefits commercial operators deliver.”
At its core, the survey sends a clear message: tour operators want to continue bringing travelers to America’s national parks, but policy changes must be workable, predictable, and grounded in how the group travel market actually functions. For ABA’s group tour and travel members, that remains an immediate and consequential priority.