Kennebunkport businesses, residents debating potential tour bus restrictions

Ashley Padget is no stranger to tourism. 

The general manager of Alisson’s Restaurant is often on the front lines of Kennebunkport’s bustling tourist season, and her family’s business relies heavily on the leaf peepers, cruise passengers and other visitors who flock to the coastal town each year.

That’s why she and some other business leaders are concerned about ongoing town discussions that could impose new restrictions on the tour buses filled with those critical customers.

“Tourism is the lifeblood of Kennebunkport’s economy,” Padget wrote in a recent Facebook post from the restaurant’s page. “While we understand the need to manage congestion and preserve the character of our town, policies that significantly restrict access risk harming the very economic engine that allows our community to thrive.”

In 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, visitors to Maine’s beaches region — which includes Kennebunkport — spent $2.5 billion, according to the Maine Office of Tourism. 

But Kennebunkport is also the year-round home for almost 4,000 Mainers, some of whom say the congestion is not worth its benefits.

The Kennebunkport Select Board accelerated conversations about the tour bus issue in January, agreeing to discuss potential short-term changes ahead of the upcoming season.

Selectman David Bancroft said congestion in downtown Kennebunkport, particularly in Dock Square, has been a concern for years. When the tourist season is at its height, residents — and, more crucially, emergency vehicles — have trouble driving through town. 

On Feb. 11, the town hosted a public forum where residents and business owners shared their opinions on the current state of tourism traffic. 

Dorset Star, a year-round Kennebunkport resident, said a reevaluation of how tour groups visit is “desperately needed.” She said she’s witnessed numerous violations of the current town ordinance, including bus drivers exceeding drop-off time limits, driving on sidewalks and leaving their engines running. 

Star said she and some of her fellow residents have felt unsafe walking on sidewalks and have grown increasingly frustrated by the standstill traffic. 

“Kennebunkport is a town and a community, not merely an attraction for visitors,” she said. “Many of us residents are not involved in the tourism industry, and our quality of life should take precedence over excessive tourism.” 

Several other concerned residents also spoke about their concerns with what some have begun to refer to as “rogue buses.”

Some town officials have made it clear that the ongoing problems are not with every bus.

Kristin Nagy, director of member development at the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce, said there are plenty of tour buses that cause little to no problems. Many of them use the chamber’s current registration system, which informs the town how many buses it can expect during a week. 

One idea that has gained traction is a reservation system, somewhat similar to the current registrations, that would place a stricter limit on how many buses can stop on Cross Street in Dock Square per hour and for how long. 

Padget, Alisson’s general manager, said her greatest concern with the idea of an expanded reservation system is that it will make Kennebunkport appear “unfriendly” to tour buses and result in a major blow to revenue. 

“As local business owners whose operations depend heavily on cruise ship/bus tour traffic and tourism, we believe this proposal could have serious unintended economic consequences for our community,” Padget wrote in her lengthy Facebook post. “Tour buses are not simply vehicles bringing visitors for a brief stop — they represent a significant portion of the customer base that sustains many of our local businesses throughout the fall season.”

Alisson’s employs 83 local residents, all of whom rely on the income visitors bring, Padget said. 

Padget emphasized that she doesn’t want to pit residents against businesses, but noted the entire town benefits from tourist-based revenue, even if it may not seem like it on the surface.

She said if the current rules were better enforced, it would solve the issues at hand without further intervention.

“We have the same concerns as the residents — many of us are residents — about safety,” Padget said. “We just want to be included in the discussions.”

Bencroft, the Select Board member, said the board hopes to come to a short-term decision for the upcoming season soon, before putting a more permanent proposal to voters on the June 2027 ballot.