Hikers staying overnight on three of the Northern Territory’s walking trails will soon be forced to shell out $25 a night as part of a new fee structure announced by the Gunner Government.

Fees will initially be introduced at Jatbula, Tabletop Track in Litchfield and the Larapinta Trail in Central Australia beginning July 1.

Minister for Parks and Rangers Selena Uibo said changes to camping fees will be staged over three years and will mean an increase of up to $3.40 per night across all Territory Parks and Reserves.

“It means investment back into the maintenance and safety of our parks, and the creation of new visitor experiences,” she said.

By July 2022, the government said they will introduce a ‘parks pass’ for interstate and international visitors, while all Territorians will continue to have free day access to the parks.

“Revenue from the fee changes will be channeled into parks and reserves across the Territory, with a percentage of fees on parks that are jointly managed paid to governing land councils on behalf of Traditional Owners,” Ms Uibo said.

Speaking to the ABC, Ms Uibo said that 50 per cent of the actual fees levied will go to traditional owners, but later appeared to be uncertain of the figure.

“It’s my understanding that is something that has been part of the process with the joint manage parks, but I’d have to double check that,” she told ABC Alice Springs.

The NT Government manages 85 parks, reserves and protected areas across the Northern Territory; 33 of those areas are formally joint-managed with Aboriginal Traditional Owners.

Despite the odd timing of introducing the fees as the NT tourism industry still recovers from the worst tourism year on record, reaction has been more positive than negative.

Danial Rochford, chief executive of Tourism Central Australia said the government has listened to concerns from the tourism industry before implementing the fee changes.

“At the end of the day, other jurisidictions have done this,” he told MIx 104.9.

“I haven’t had a call from a tourism operator in Central Australia to say the world’s going to come crashing down because of it. I think the most important thing … is making sure that the fees raised through this process are re-injected back into our national parks, both through infrastructure and services and growing them for the future.”

Darwin Bush Walking Club’s President Mara Dobrini said her group won’t oppose the fees as long as the revenue goes back to the parks themselves.

“I think the consensus is, if the money is going back into the park and to the rangers who have a really difficult job with the little bit of money they do get from the government. I think that it’s okay,” Ms Dobrini said.

Online booking system also to be introduced, could cost $2.5 – $5 mil

Ms Uibo said changes to the management of Territory parks and reserves will help to “protect, modernise and improve the parks while bringing the Northern Territory in line with other jurisdictions.”

“We’ve looked at other jurisdictions and particularly in the park space and this is one area, unfortunately we have been behind when we’re looking at those fees for the walks and in some jurisdictions people paying hundreds and hundreds of dollars to do a particular walk.”

“It’s not excessive and I don’t think it’ll deter any tourists.”

The announcement of park fees follows the launching of the NT government’s domestic tourism campaign ‘Seek Different.’

An online booking system will also be launched to “streamline bookings and offer more certainty for visitors.”

The costs of that have not been finalised as yet, but estimates indicate it could cost between $2.5 million and $5 million.

A tender is set to be released for the online booking system including software licenses, hosting and support for a period of 48 months. No date has been provided for when it will be operational.