Partners In Cruise: Sitka
Building Solutions Through Community and Cruise Collaboration
Travelers from around the world take cruises to experience the natural beauty and cultural heritage of treasured destinations, such as Sitka. CLIA member lines are committed to responsible tourism, with destination stewardship as a key component. By partnering with communities, city officials, ports and other key stakeholders, we engage in ongoing direct dialogue to protect the local way of life while also ensuring high-quality visitor experiences and providing a predictable market for the many local businesses that rely on cruise tourism. The cruise industry is committed to safeguarding these experiences for generations to come and will continue to work with the City and Borough of Sitka (CBS) and local stakeholders.
Below are examples of solution minded actions at the local level to responsibly manage cruise tourism in Sitka.
Sitka Tourism Task Force
As tourism has grown in Sitka, a Tourism Task Force was established to support the community’s transition to long-term tourism management. The Task Force had five main directives to evaluate and make recommendations on:
- Levels of tourism in Sitka
- Annual review cycle of CBS operations and tourism funding
- Development of a Tourism Management Best Practices (TMBP) program
- Land use regulations and waterfront development policies
- Regional strategies to advance Sitka’s interest regarding cruise tourism
The Tourism Task Force presented 32 recommendations to the Sitka Assembly which were adopted, along with the corresponding Action Plan, by the Assembly on May 16, 2024.
To learn more about the Task Force, visit https://www.cityofsitka.com/TourismTaskForce.
Following the adoption of the Task Force’s recommendations, a Tourism Commission was created in August 2024 to advise the Assembly on Sitka’s visitor industry. Members were appointed in October 2024.
To learn more about the Tourism Commission, visit https://www.cityofsitka.com/TourismCommission.
Local Action and Solutions
When communities and business owners know in advance the number of visitors arriving each day, they can better plan for tourism. Whether it’s expanding existing offerings or launching new businesses, Sitkans now have a clearer picture of expected visitation thanks to local dock owner Chris McGraw, who worked with the City and Borough of Sitka to establish a Memorandum of Understanding setting cruise passenger thresholds.
Under the agreement, Saturdays are designated as a “quiet day” with fewer than 1,250 passengers while other days have a 7,000-passenger ceiling based on lower berth capacity. This builds on other measures McGraw has implemented to mitigate cruise ship impacts, such as staggering arrival times, expanding shore experiences to disperse visitors, and reducing bus traffic.
Additionally, the CBS has been implementing its tourism plan to address challenges, develop solutions, and guide decision-making based on Task Force recommendations.
City and Borough of Sitka and Sitka Dock Company LLC sign Memorandum of Understanding.
Tourism Best Management Practices (TBMP)
What began in Juneau in 1997 has grown into a renowned program now modeled in port communities across Southeast Alaska, Whittier, Maine, and even international destinations.
TBMP is a collaborative effort among local tour operators, cruise lines, transportation services, retailers, hospitality businesses, tour brokers, and government agencies to minimize tourism’s impacts while addressing concerns from both residents and the industry.
Sitka now has its own TBMP program, tailored by the Sitka Tourism Task Force based on public feedback and community needs. By participating in this voluntary program, operators demonstrate their commitment to addressing community concerns. The program helps identify issues, develop solutions, and maintain residents’ quality of life while ensuring a great visitor experience.
Economic Impact
Tourism provides a significant economic boost to the Sitka community. Visitors spend money throughout the community, supporting small businesses, tour operators, and families whose livelihoods depend on cruise tourism. In turn, these businesses and residents contribute to local charities, organizations, and essential services such as grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, helping to sustain the broader community.
Cruise Line Contributions in the Sitka Community
Ship Events & Environmental Tours: Cruise lines and their shipboard teams welcome local groups, students and teachers, the Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce, local and state officials, businesses, and more—onboard for ship tours and events. These events provide educational opportunities on how ships operate and showcase the many career paths available in the cruise industry. They also support local fundraisers benefiting various organizations.
Environmental tours highlight the ships’ advanced environmental technologies, sustainable practices, and innovations, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to protecting the oceans and the communities it visits.
Norwegian Bliss hosted a career day onboard for local high school students. In addition to getting a behind the scenes tour, students learned about ship operations, entertainment, and culinary careers. An added bonus was a trip to the buffet!
Royal Caribbean Group hosted local students onboard to learn about careers in maritime.
Sitka’s Emerging Leaders were treated to a one-of-a-kind experience with lunch and a ship tour onboard the Crown Princess.
Sitka’s Emerging Leaders were treated to a one-of-a-kind experience with lunch and a ship tour onboard the Crown Princess.
Newsroom
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Donates $50,000 To The Alaska Raptor Center To Support Wildlife Conservation
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) announced today a $50,000 donation to the Alaska Raptor Center, a leading wildlife rehabilitation and education facility dedicated to the care and conservation of birds of prey.
Citizen Group Seeks Cruise Petition Permit
A Sitka nonprofit has filed an application to the city to circulate an initiative petition for a public vote on cruise ship tourism limits for Sitka.
2024 – Another Eventful Year in Sitka News
For 17 days in August and September, Sitka’s connection to the outside world was slowed, even shut down, after an undersea communications cable in Salisbury Sound broke.
Cruise Petition OK’d for Signature Drive
The city clerk’s office on Monday certified an application by Sitka Small Town SOUL members to circulate an initiative petition for a public vote on cruise ship tourism limits in Sitka.
Sitka Assembly narrowly passes agreement with cruise dock
The City of Sitka has its first agreement with the local, privately owned cruise dock. When the Sitka Assembly met on November 12, it approved a “Memorandum of Understanding” or MOU with the Sitka Dock Company.
On fourth try, Sitka cruise limit ballot prop goes out for signatures
After three previous failed attempts, a fourth application to put a cruise limit question before Sitka voters has passed the city’s initial legal review.
Sitka Assembly approved memorandum of understanding on cruise ship passenger limits by 4-3 vote
MOA sets daily limit of 7,000, guidelines for docking bans for ships that would exceed that total.
Royal Caribbean Group and Sitka Dock Company to Help Sitka Stay Connected During Internet Outages
Working closely with local leaders, five locations were selected across the city to bring Starlink’s high-speed, low-latency internet to locals and visitors
About Cruise Lines International Association
As the leading authority of the cruise industry, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) provides a unified voice for the global cruise community, which includes the world’s most prestigious ocean, river, and specialty cruise lines; an expansive group of maritime leaders who provide technical expertise, products and services to the cruise sector; leading ports, destinations, shipyards; and the largest network of travel professionals who specialize in cruise travel.
Together with our members and partners, CLIA supports policies and practices that foster safe, healthy and sustainable cruise operations; tourism strategies that maximize the socio-economic benefits of cruise travel for communities; and technologies and innovations that are helping advance the global fleet of cruise ships to be more energy efficient and environmentally focused than ever before.
CLIA’s global headquarters are in Washington, DC, with regional offices located in North and South America, Europe, the UK and Ireland, and Australasia.