Modernizing the National Park Service Concession Program

PURPOSE:

• To examine current National Parks Service (NPS) concessions policies.
• To look at potential solutions for increasing revenue and attendance at national parks.

BACKGROUND:

• NPS was established in 1916 and oversees many prominent tourist attractions across the U.S.
• Many essential components of national parks such as campgrounds, lodging, or food service are contracted out to private companies known as concessioners, rather than run by NPS itself.
• Concessioners employ over 25,000 people within the national parks system and provide more than $1 billion in goods and services to visitors every year.
• NPS faces an $11.49 billion maintenance backlog.NPS concession laws and policy may contribute to this backlog and keep the NPS from maximizing the visitor experience at national parks across the country.