The National Tour Association reacted with concern this week to an announcement from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that Alcatraz Island will eliminate the sale of tickets to the tour and travel industry…
The National Tour Association reacted with concern this week to an announcement from the Golden Gate National Recreation Area that Alcatraz Island will eliminate the sale of tickets to the tour and travel industry, effective Jan.1, 2005. GGNRA reports that high visitation demand has left it unable “to meet the needs of existing and emerging tour and travel companies and of the public.”
NTA President, Hank Phillips, CTP, expressed his “strong concern” about this action. “This will obviously have a detrimental impact on those operators who take visitors to Alcatraz Island. Even worse than that, though, is the precedent of excluding ticket sales to the tour and travel industry.”
Federal parks issues are a priority for the association’s government relations efforts. Phillips stated that NTA will have immediate discussions with the NPS and will work with the Park Service in an attempt to restore access for the industry. NTA hopes to prevent future similar actions from occurring in other federal parks.
In reaction to the announcement from GGNRA, NTA Legislative Council, Jim Santini, stated, “NTA has worked closely with the Park Service for over twenty years. It is disappointing that we must continue fighting the same battles that we fought some twenty years ago.”
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