LEXINGTON, Ky. - The National Tour Association has announced that group entry fees to U.S. national parks will not increase until 2010.

And, the association will have a role in determining what the 2010 fees will be.

The association, which has a long relationship with the National Park Service, said the group fee freeze until 2010 results from recent meetings between the two organizations.

"While (the National Park Service) has historically agreed to give NTA at least 12 months notice of any group fee increases, they built extra lead time so tour operators can adequately prepare for the 2010 increase," said NTA Vice Chairman Bob Hoelscher.

"Additionally, NTA will participate in the process that will ultimately determine what those 2010 rates will be, as well as how they will be configured," Hoelscher added.

"The opportunity for timely input has prevented serious financial and operational hardships for NTA tour operators and their clients," added NTA Chairman Randy Julian. "It is rewarding to work with our park service partners on fee and management regulations before they are locked in."

Entrance fees for individual travelers increased this year at many National Park sites, and will increase next year and in 2009 at additional sites.

The Park Service has told the NTA it will notify the travel industry of the 2010 rates by August of next year.

For the past two decades, NTA has been an advocate for "equitable and reasonable entrance and user fees" at America's national parks. The association says its partnership with the Park Service has helped assure that all visitors, including group travelers, have equal access to the national parks.

"NTA continues to work on behalf of its members on issues related to visitation and fees at these treasured national sites," said Julian.

"NTA appreciates the conscientious effort by (the Park Service) to respond to the Department of Interiors directive to insure that the agency receives public input whenever their agency decision-making will directly impact one of their private-sector partners."