Those looking to camp or hike will still need to pay the usual fees on top of the Parks Pass.
From April 2023, Australia’s Northern Territory Government will introduce a fee for tourists coming to visit some of its top “instagram-worthy” attractions. Some of the destinations which will incur this fee include Edith Falls, Litchfield and Mataranka Hot Springs.
As part of the new plan, all interstate and international tourists will need to pay for the Parks Pass to be able to enter 50 of the Northern Territory’s most popular parks and reserves. The pass will cost a family $25, with options for a two-week family admissions pass for $75 and an open family pass (with no time limit) for $150. Those looking to camp or hike will still need to pay the usual fees on top of the Parks Pass.
The hope is that by introducing fees, the revenue will ensure the parks and reserves will be better protected, maintained and developed for generations to come, so visitors and locals alike can continue to enjoy the beautiful landscape and wildlife. Traditional owners will also share in the revenue, and the move is expected to help with safety and the creation of new visitor experiences, as well as protecting some of Australia’s most endangered wildlife, like the golden bandicoot and the marsupial mole.
Although locals will be exempt from the new fees of the Parks Passes, the announcement from the government has come with mixed reviews from both Territorians and tourists. Some are shocked that they will be charged to go for a swim, others are concerned it will put tourists off visiting these areas. However, Gabby Walters, Associate Professor of Tourism at the University of Queensland, doesn’t believe the changes will impact the levels of tourists to the Northern Territory.
She believes the price will be affordable for most, particularly as many people visiting Australia will have already forked out a fair amount of money for airfares and accommodation, so an extra $25 on top of all that is unlikely to put them off visiting a park. Australia is certainly not a cheap country to visit, but while you can do things on a budget, most people are prepared to splash some cash while they are over there.
Australia isn’t the first country to charge tourists, and in some cases locals, a fee to visit their natural attractions. Many national parks around the world already do so. Visitors must pay an entrance fee to visit the Grand Canyon, Rocky Mountain and Joshua Tree in the United States, and big attractions in Argentina, such as the Tierra del Fuego National Park and Iguazu Waterfalls, also charge entry. And up in Uluru and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, also in Australia’s Northern Territory, park passes are already in place.
Visitors, therefore, aren’t going to be surprised or put off by being asked to pay an entry fee. For most, these national parks will be worth the money. Just like video and casino games are designed to be addictive, with the help of loot boxes and a tempting no deposit casino bonus, these beauty spots are almost designed by nature to leave people wanting more – wanting to see the next best waterfall or capture the next best sunset. So, even by adding a “tourist tax” to see these places, the Australian government can feel safe in the knowledge that people will still visit them.
As humans, we are becoming more and more conscious of our environmental footprint, and of our actions while travelling around. And knowing the revenue is being put back into nature, being used to protect and maintain the environment, for most, this $25 will be money well spent.
Travelers will be able to book passes online in advance via the NT government’s online booking system.
