A subjective factor you are missing here is that the US is increasingly viewed as a place that is both dangerous and hostile to foreign visitors. Decisions like the park fees get lots of publicity in Australia (and, I assume, elsewhere), affecting the choices of potential visitors to the US who might never have visited a park even if they came.
Business idea for college students looking for summer cash: charge $100 to international tourists who would like to pay a lower price to enter the park by being the driver and showing their US drivers license at the gate. Then get dropped off someplace like the gift shop. Sit and watch a movie or read a book until the tourists are done and pick you back up to drop you off again.
It's Uber for national park visitors from foreign lands. Call it: Parker...
A subjective factor you are missing here is that the US is increasingly viewed as a place that is both dangerous and hostile to foreign visitors. Decisions like the park fees get lots of publicity in Australia (and, I assume, elsewhere), affecting the choices of potential visitors to the US who might never have visited a park even if they came.
Business idea for college students looking for summer cash: charge $100 to international tourists who would like to pay a lower price to enter the park by being the driver and showing their US drivers license at the gate. Then get dropped off someplace like the gift shop. Sit and watch a movie or read a book until the tourists are done and pick you back up to drop you off again.
It's Uber for national park visitors from foreign lands. Call it: Parker...
Public spaces for residents not the entire world. Good on them for increasing prices for international visitors.