ST. GEORGE, Utah — Philly and Keely Emerson of Northern Ireland have more than 100,000 social media followers who have watched them live the van life through the natural wonders of Europe, Australia and now America.
Things are different for foreign tourists visiting our national lands this year as higher fees target those coming from outside the country. So has it affected Philly and Keely?
"We have had the opportunity of traveling all over the world," said Philly. "We've been to so many national parks in multiple countries. When we first heard that the annual pass was $80 here, we couldn't believe how cheap that was."
That’s how much the annual pass was for people who aren’t from the United States. But as of January 1, the Trump Administration increased that price to $250 for foreign tourists.
Select parks, including Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, had an extra $100 single-day fee added for foreign tourists.
End of free MLK Day admission leaves Zion National Park with drastically fewer visitors:
Philly and Keely have chronicled their national park adventures in America in their 40-year-old RV named Milo, visiting 16 locations thus far, including Zion and Arches.
Keely said the extra fees aren’t going to dissuade them.
"It's been $80 since 2007. The fact that it hasn't upped its price since 2007 for the American public is fantastic," she said. "If I was a tourist in your country, can come in and contribute a little more to keep your parks at price for locals, of course, I'm willing to do that. You know, they're absolutely stunning."
The Utah Bureau of Tourism says it's too early to determine if the additional fees and other factors have deterred international tourists. But when we visited Zion on MLK Day, locals couldn’t remember such small attendance on the holiday. There was a noticeable absence of foreign tongues and tourists that usually dominate on a weekday.
Natalie Randall, who directs the Utah Tourism Bureau, shared that the key is educating those visiting from other nations
"The critical piece is that the surcharge only applies to Zion and Bryce and doesn’t apply if you have the annual pass, so the strategy we’re telling people is to purchase the annual pass," Randall explained.
Philly and Keely have taken that to heart. Just like their slogans are to "Never regret a swim," and "But first, coffee," they’re relaxed about the add-ons, and say the annual pass is still a bargain.
"Was it worth it at $80? Yes. Is it worth it now at $250? Yes," said Philly. "That doesn't change a percent, you know?"
