[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 99 (Monday, May 24, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28008-28009]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-13061]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service


Notice of Availability of Director's Order Concerning the 
Establishment of a National Tourism Policy

AGENCY: National Park Service, DOI.

ACTION: Public notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: National parks have been interwoven with tourism from the 
earliest days of the National Park Service. Railroads developed resorts 
at natural wonders and scenic attractions before parks were 
established. The lure of the parks as magnets for tourism and related 
economic activity has been understood and capitalized on by many 
interests. In the early part of this century, National Park Service 
leaders Stephen Mather and Horace Albright believed the public needed 
to be enticed into the parks to experience them first-hand in order to 
understand and support their values and importance. Today, the Service 
is challenged to protect park resources in the face of increased 
visitation demands, particularly in the high use portions of the most 
heavily visited parks.
    Travel and tourism rank as the number one or two industry in most 
States and will soon be the leading industry worldwide. Tourism in the 
United States is a half-trillion dollars-a-year industry that employs 
more than 15.5 million people directly and indirectly. Many National 
parks are icons that are on ``must see'' lists for domestic and 
international travelers. International travel is this country's largest 
services export earner.
    The purpose of this tourism policy is to promote and support 
sustainable, responsible, informed, and managed visitor use.
    The National Park Service is ``dedicated to conserving unimpaired 
the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park 
system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future 
generations.'' This mission can be partially achieved through a 
national tourism policy that addresses the needs of both the National 
Park Service and the tourism industry, i.e., businesses that stage, 
transport, house, feed, and otherwise provide services to our actual 
and potential visitors.
    At the core of the National Park Service tourism policy is the 
reality that it is in the best interest of the Service that we 
understand and pro-actively communicate with tourism businesses. It is 
to each park's advantage to find appropriate common ground with tourism 
interests and gain a common understanding of park missions and 
limitations.
    National Park Service participation can help steer tourism in 
positive directions that emphasize: better visitor information, 
awareness and responsibility, sustainable practices, greater respect 
for ecosystems and cultural landscapes and avoidance of conflicts. 
Furthermore, while the tourism industry places demands on parks, it 
also can be an effective voice in speaking on behalf of parks and using 
its considerable influence.
    The interests of park managers and the tourism industry are often 
similar but stem from different missions. Most park units contribute to 
local and regional economies and are featured destinations for tour 
operators and for tourism service providers. These

[[Page 28009]]

interests provide a vocal demand for continued/expanded access. At the 
same time, park managers are dealing with limited budgets and staffing, 
resource management responsibilities, what constitutes a quality park 
visitor experience, and sometimes catastrophic/abnormal acts of nature. 
Travel and tourism operators have an interest in protecting park values 
that attract their clients and customers. They also have payrolls to 
meet and investments to protect.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted on or before June 23, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Georgette Tolbert, Director of Tourism, 
National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Room 3420, Washington, DC 
20240-0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Georgette Tolbert @ 202/208-6507.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Operational Policies: The 1995 White House 
Conference on Travel and Tourism established a basis and framework for 
closer cooperation and mutual understanding between land-managing 
agencies and the tourism industry. Regional and State tourism 
conferences have brought park managers and tourism operators together. 
This dialogue has fostered many of the principles incorporated in the 
following operational policies:
    It is the National Park Service tour policy to: Develop and 
maintain a constructive dialogue with tourism and travel organizations 
and businesses.
    Collaborate with industry professionals to promote sustainable and 
informed tourism that incorporates socio-cultural, economic and 
ecological concerns, and encourages long-term preservation of park 
resources and quality visitor experiences.
    Encourage practices that highlight America's diversity and welcome 
park visitation by people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds, 
ages, and physical and economic means.
    Provide costs-effective park visitor orientation and information 
services to visitors in parks and, as funding and partnerships allow, 
at the visit planning stage, and at park gateways. Work to ensure that 
others who provide information to visitors are well-informed and 
provide accurate information about park activities and resources.
    Encourage visitor use of lesser-known parks, underutilized areas, 
and use during non-peak seasons and times of the day. Encourage 
visitation to related sites beyond park boundaries, as appropriate, to 
enhance overall visitor experiences and protection of resources.
    Specifically address tourism-related trends, issues and 
implications in National Park Service park plans and management 
decisions.
    Represent park needs and realities during the preparation of plans 
and proposals for gateway community services and park tour operations 
that could impact park visitation, resources, visitor services and 
infrastructure support.
    Work to establish supportable, park-carrying capacities as a basis 
for communicating with outside interests and the public-at-large on 
acceptable visitor loads, tours, recreation equipment uses and 
services. Carrying capacities are defined as use levels that will not 
adversely impact the park resources or desired quality of park visitor 
experiences.
    Participate in and monitor travel industry research, data gathering 
and marketing initiatives to ensure that the National Park Service is 
fully informed of demographic changes and visitor trends.
    Ensure that accurate park information is used, realistic visitor 
expectations are created, and no unrealistic, unsafe, incompatible or 
harmful-to-park resources recreation practices are depicted in 
promotional materials and advertising associated with potential park 
uses.
    Provide appropriate information as early as possible to the tourism 
industry regarding changes in operations and fees.
    When feasible, and consistent with park resource protection and 
budgetary needs, schedule construction, repairs, and resource 
management practices, such as prescribed burns, in ways and at times 
which keep key visitor attractions and services accessible for public 
use during peak visitation periods. Strive to minimize adverse impacts 
on visitors, as well as on park visitor-dependent businesses.
    Establish and maintain lines of communication and protocols to 
handle the impact of park emergencies and temporary closures so that 
the public, including tourism communities and tourism-related 
businesses, have the best current information on when park services 
will be restored.
    Inform visitors, gateway communities and tourism-related businesses 
about current conditions of key park resources on current protection 
and recovery/restoration measures. Establish a common understanding on 
what is needed to ensure adequate protection of those resources for 
present and future enjoyment and how this can contribute to sustainable 
park-related businesses and economies.
    Develop new partnerships to help implement Servicewide priorities, 
i.e., the Fee Demonstration Program, Education Initiative, Natural 
Resources Initiative, and Millennium Projects.
    The WASO Director of Tourism is the primary point-of-contact with 
the tourism industry at the national and international levels and 
insures that this Director's Order is reviewed annually and updated as 
needed.
    Park superintendents are responsible for implementing these 
policies at the park level.
    Program managers and staff at the WASO and Regional level are 
responsible for support superintendents in their implementation of 
these policies.
Destry Jarvis,
Acting Director of Tourism, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 99-13061 Filed 5-21-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P