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This message is intended for the relatively small group of people who will both find it of interest and who will not require a lengthy explanation to appreciate the meaning of what this says.
The signatories you see below are representative of those who backed the Paul Hoffman National Parks policy rewrite. They are largely concessionaires and key special interest groups. They are in no way representative of the American public and they are certainly not "friends" of the national park system. They are those interests with the greatest desire and/or need to transform the way in which, and the purpose for which, our National Parks are managed. The messaging they have used is pure fluff. It is, however, calculated to be effective and has already been exceedingly well received with the media and with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior and, presumably, with the Bush Administration. This non-threatening language may very well accomplish a large portion of what the Hoffman rewrite failed to accomplish. It has certainly changed the nature of the public debate ... even though the interests of the players has not altered one tiny bit.
Scott
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National Tourism Leaders Urge National Park Service Action
News Releases Posted on Mon, 07/30/2007 - 14:07.
Washington, D.C. (July 30, 2007) – Top national tourism leaders today
urged National Park Service Director Mary Bomar to approve promptly a
new national park tourism plan entitled "Developing Relevance and
Connections Through Tourism" and to convene a session to speed
implementation of the plan.
According to the Chairman of the National Park Hospitality Association,
“The proposed National Tourism Strategic Plan will allow the National
Park Service (NPS) to connect more Americans to their parks and reverse
a two decade pattern of stagnation and decline in visitation. The plan
outlines strategies and actions which have great potential to
strengthen cooperative relations between the NPS and its tourism
partners, raise park staff understanding of the needs and expectations
of actual and potential visitors, enhance the visitor experience in the
national parks, introduce a more diverse population to the parks and
promote more responsible visitor use.”
The NPS has a tourism office and a Director of Tourism, but the
national leaders contend that real progress awaits a formal embrace of
the plan by agency leadership. Unfortunately, other pressing issues
have dominated meetings of the agency’s leadership team for several
months.
According to the letter, “The National Park System is a great legacy
and a wonderfully positive force in the lives of those who visit and
derive mental and physical benefits, learning and more. The challenge
for the NPS is to widely distribute the rewards from the parks to the
American people. One of the most vital elements in connecting the
American people to their parks is creating awareness. Today’s Americans
have more leisure time choices than any previous generation. And many
of those choices are promoted with advertising and other messaging that
renders simple activities like taking a hike, going on a picnic,
camping or going fishing nearly forgotten. The National Park Service
and tourism leaders wish to make the opportunities for healthy outdoor
fun, nearby and distant alike, readily apparent. Action is needed
immediately to help achieve shared goals including increased awareness
and use of lesser-know park units, increased use of well-know national
park system units during non-peak periods and increased awareness and
use of the entire national park system by America’s youth, especially
urban and minority youth.”
Signers of the letter include:
Joe Fassler, President, National Park Hospitality Association
Dennis Szefel, President, Hospitality Group, Delaware North Companies
Bruce Fears, President, ARAMARK Harrison Lodging
Rex Maughan, Chairman, Forever Resorts
Bob Warren, Chairman, National Alliance of Gateway Communities
Randy Julian, Chair, National Tour Association
Caroline Beteta, Chair, Western States Tourism Policy Council
Linda Profaizer, President, National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
Peter Pantuso, President, American Bus Association
William Hardman, President, Southeast Tourism Society
Andrew Todd, President, Xanterra Parks and Resorts
Derrick Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition
COPY OF LETTER
NPS National Tourism Strategic Plan Supporters
July 30, 2007
The Honorable Mary Bomar, Director
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
Dear Director Bomar:
America’s national park system is a great legacy and a wonderfully
positive force in the lives of those who visit and derive mental and
physical benefits, learning and more. Yet there is a challenge facing
us – to make these benefits widespread among the public. You and others
have expressed interest in recent months with efforts to connect
Americans to their parks – and we fully support this vision.
One of the most vital elements in connecting the American people to
their parks is creating awareness. Today’s Americans have more leisure
time choices than any previous generation. Any many of those choices
are promoted with advertising and other messaging that renders simple
activities like taking a hike, going on a picnic, camping or going
fishing nearly forgotten.
It is in the best interests of the National Park Service, this letter’s
signers and the public to help make opportunities for healthy outdoor
fun, nearby and distant alike, readily apparent. Current efforts to do
so lack resources and direction, and we urge you to take action
immediately to help achieve shared goals including increased awareness
and use of lesser-know park units, increased use of well-know national
park system units during non-peak periods and increased awareness and
use of the entire national park system by America’s youth, especially
urban and minority youth.
We have reviewed the proposed NPS National Tourism Strategic Plan
entitled "Developing Relevance and Connections Through Tourism." We
believe the strategies and actions it outlines have great potential to
strengthen cooperative relations between the NPS and its tourism
partners, raise park staff understanding of the needs and expectations
of actual and potential visitors, enhance the visitor experience in the
national parks, introduce a more diverse population to the parks and
promote more responsible visitor use. We urge you to adopt the plan
promptly.
We pledge our cooperation in implementing this plan and further ask
that you convene a session to commence implementation of that plan,
through a broad and committed partnership involving us and others.
Thank you for your interest and action on this important issue.
Sincerely,
Joe Fassler, President, National Park Hospitality Association
Dennis Szefel, President, Hospitality Group, Delaware North Companies
Bruce Fears, President, ARAMARK Harrison Lodging
Rex Maughan, Chairman, Forever Resorts
Andrew Todd, President, Xanterra Parks and Resorts
Bob Warren, Chairman, National Alliance of Gateway Communities
Randy Julian, Chair, National Tour Association
Caroline Beteta, Chair, Western States Tourism Policy Council
Linda Profaizer, President, National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds
Peter Pantuso, President, American Bus Association
William Hardman, President, Southeast Tourism Society
Derrick Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition
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- Activism 
