Protected Area Fees: A Practical Way to Finance Nature

Protected area fees are one of the oldest and most effective biodiversity finance mechanisms. From park entrance fees to research permits, these user charges help protected areas generate the revenue needed to manage and conserve some of the world's most valuable ecosystems.

In this short video, independent economic researcher Hugo Van Zyl explains how better-designed fee systems can increase funding for nature while maintaining public support.

What are protected area fees?

Protected area fees are user charges paid by visitors and organizations that use protected areas. They include entrance fees, tourism activities, filming and photography permits, research permits, and other charges.

For many protected areas, these fees represent the largest source of self-generated income, helping finance daily operations, maintenance, conservation activities, and visitor services.

Can higher protected area fees generate more funding?

Experience shows that increasing fees is only part of the solution.

With UNDP’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) support, Botswana reviewed its protected area fee schedule after several years without revision. The process combined economic analysis with extensive stakeholder consultations, resulting in a more balanced and effective fee structure.

The outcome was significant: protected area fee revenue nearly doubled, generating approximately US$7 million in additional annual income without evident negative impacts on visitors or tourism.

(Recent figures show approximately US$37.5 million in cumulative post-reform revenues, around US$12 million more than would have been generated under the previous fee structure).

Why is UNDP BIOFIN investing in protected area fees?

Protected area fees are among the biodiversity finance solutions with the greatest potential for many countries. While they are already widely used, there are still many opportunities to improve how they are designed and implemented.

To help countries strengthen these systems, UNDP BIOFIN has launched a Global Protected Area Fees Project, which will:

• analyze protected area fee systems from around the world;
• develop practical guidelines for governments and protected area managers in early 2027; and
• provide technical support to UNDP BIOFIN countries seeking to improve their own fee systems.

Well-designed protected area fees can generate substantial new revenue for biodiversity conservation while remaining practical, fair, and publicly acceptable.