by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 1:10 PM ET, Thu May 29, 2025
Voters in Sitka, Alaska, have rejected a proposal to limit cruise tourism.
During a special election on Wednesday, 73 percent of voters rejected the ballot measure that would have capped cruise passengers starting next year, reports KCAW. Nearly 3,000 voters cast their ballots.
The proposition aimed to limit the number of cruise visitors to 4,500 per day and 300,000 each year, reports the Sitka Sentinel. It would also have required at least one quiet day a week with no large ships and would have implemented a permit system for cruise ships.
Chris McGraw, owner of the private Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, was heartened by the results.
“It shows that the community understands the benefits of cruise tourism and that the proposed ballot initiative wasn’t the right answer at this time,” McGraw tells KCAW.
He acknowledged, however, that the cruise industry could take steps to address the concerns of voters who supported the ballot measure. Right now, the city and McGraw have agreed to a memorandum of understanding that includes a 7,000 passenger-per-day cap.
Larry Edwards, one of the citizens who organized the ballot initiative, says he hopes it sparks a broader conversation about tourism in Sitka.
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