British tourists visiting major holiday hotspots in the US will face a $100 (£75) charge under Donald Trump’s “America first” plans.
Foreign holidaymakers at 11 US national parks will face the supplementary charge as soon as January, with the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite among those levying the fees.
Currently, every visitor pays identical vehicle fees between $10 and $35, regardless of nationality or residence status.
Annual passes for international tourists will jump from $80 to as high as $250 next year.
The scheme excludes foreign nationals legally residing in the United States.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revealed the measures on Tuesday after a July executive order from Mr Trump,
He declared the White House “always puts American families first”.
“These policies ensure that US taxpayers, who already support the national park system, continue to enjoy affordable access, while international visitors contribute their fair share to maintaining and improving our parks for future generations,” Mr Burgum said.
British tourists visiting major holiday hotspots – like the National Park Service-run Mount Rushmore – in the US will face a $100 (£75) charge
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GETTY
The National Park Service confirmed that four-fifths of its takings from the new fees will go towards the running of the park where they were collected.
The remaining 20 per cent of collected funds will support parks with lower revenues or those that don’t charge admission.
A US think tank, the Property and Environment Research Centre, projects the levy could boost national park income from $349million to as much as $1.5billion every year.
Elsewhere, the US Interior Department is planning exclusive “resident-only patriotic fee-free days” for American citizens on select holidays.
BRITISH TOURISTS MADE TO PAY – READ MORE:
‘Resident-only patriotic fee-free days’ could soon be the reality for Americans
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GETTYThese include “Flag Day/President Trump’s birthday” on June 14.
The National Park Service manages approximately 100 parks across America.
One of those is the Grand Canyon – which millions of global travellers visit annually to experience its distinctive red rock formations.
Millions of travellers visit the Grand Canyon every year
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PEXELSHowever, the Service has shed almost 25 per cent of its workforce since Mr Trump returned to the White House in January.
And it is still dealing with the consequences of America’s longest-ever Government shutdown, which lasted 43 days.
Parks stayed open during the closure, but employees were placed on unpaid leave and entrance charges went uncollected.
