[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]
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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.
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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
