BANGOR DAILY NEWS • September 20, 2023
In a move aimed at reducing tourism’s negative effects on Bar Harbor, the town council on Tuesday eliminated the town’s cruise ship committee. While some members of the council defended the purpose of the committee and the efforts of those on it, they acknowledged it had outlived its purpose, which was to make recommendations to the town on how to manage the cruise industry’s growth in Bar Harbor. With a majority of residents chafing at how the number of annual cruise ship visits to Bar Harbor has increased over the past 30 years — and with the town dealing with a federal lawsuit over the matter — the council unanimously agreed that the town should change its approach.