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The sun sets as a rain storm blows through Arches National Park near Moab, Sept. 18, 2021. As visitation to America’s national parks peaks in 2021, travel and hospitality companies and associations will be located in and outside the United States. I am not happy with the National Park Service reservation systems. (Spencer Heaps, Deseret News)
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SALT LAKE CITY — As visitation to America’s national parks peaks in 2021, travel and hospitality companies and travel and hospitality associations outside the United States are unhappy with the National Park Service’s reservation systems.
Those reservation systems, they say, “could halt the recovery of international inbound travel.”
Hundreds of travel and leisure businesses and travel associations have signed a letter expressing their displeasure, which the US Travel Association sent last week to Interior Secretary Deb Holland and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. The Utah Tourism Industry Association and a handful of Utah-based companies signed the letter.
“Until international travelers can safely plan their visits to national parks, inbound travel cannot fully resume,” the letter reads in part.
In the year In 2019, international travel accounted for more than 1/3 of national park visits, bringing in more than 100 million visitors. All but disappeared in the months since the Covid-19 pandemic led to the US shutdown in March 2020. With restrictions, initially and economic issues that can affect travel now, the rebound has been slow.
The letter suggests another cause for international travel struggles: reservations or other new policies at national parks.
Most of the policies were created to address overcrowding in parks, or at least parts of the entire US, where domestic travel has led to increased visitation. The US Travel Association acknowledged this and the park’s staffing issues in the letter. However, they say it inadvertently creates barriers to international travel.
“Short booking windows and inconsistent booking systems can’t work for international travelers and international tour operators, many of whom plan their trips a year in advance,” the letter says. “As we emerge from the pandemic and as inbound travel resumes, it is critical that reservations are allowed 10 to 12 months in advance. In addition, reservation systems must be consistent across parks.”
The Utah Tourism Industry Association supported the letter because the policies could affect international travel to Utah, said Natalie Randall, the association’s executive director. Last year’s record attendance at Utah’s national parks culminated in Arches National Park’s advanced timed entry system and lottery lottery system that began this year at Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park.
Randall pointed out that the Utah Association appreciates that Arches National Park has excluded motorcycles and tour buses from the time-limited entry system it is testing this year, which will help tourists know they will be entering the park when planning their trip.
Visits to Utah’s national and state parks are down from this time last year. But Randall said it’s still too early to tell whether there will be travel impacts related to the new reservation or timed check-in systems, or how severe any impacts might be.
Any decline could be due to higher global inflation and gas prices or ongoing Covid-19 concerns. In addition, The increase in 2021 is likely due to Americans unable to travel internationally, and any decrease in 2022 is due to Americans leaving the country again.
“Even in overall visitation, we’ve seen a year-over-year decline. At least that’s partially offset by gas prices locally,” she said. Some marketing efforts have slowed down in various parts of the region.
But given the importance of international travel to the travel and hospitality industries, Utah travel experts say more needs to be done to make it easier for international travelers in the state.
Randall said international travel is still “important” to many Utah communities, especially those that rely on tourism. Communities near Utah National Park are still experiencing some uncertainty as international travel has not fully returned.
“It’s very important and critical to many of our destinations in Utah, especially our recreation-based destinations,” she said.
The July 11 letter concludes that the travel industry is “ready to work in partnership” with the park service to meet the agency’s needs and bring visitors into the country. In response to the letter, National Park Service spokeswoman Jenny Anzelmo-Sarles told KSL.com that the agency always strives to provide “wonderful and memorable experiences for all visitors.”
“We appreciate feedback from the travel sector, community residents and visitors as we refine and improve these management tools, and review consistent and clear visitor expectations for planning park trips,” her statement continued. “We look forward to our continued relationship with the travel industry on matters of mutual interest.”
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