The town’s storefront business owners look forward to summer, and not just for the weather. It’s the time of year when cruise ship, charter fishing and friends and family visitors spend money — new money for the economy, not simply recirculating the same dollars from residents.

That new money is an important part of Wrangell’s economy; it helps many of the business owners stay open the rest of the year, when the customer count is much lower.

And that same new money, particularly from the 70,000 or so cruise ship passengers that could walk through town this summer, is just as important to craftspeople, hobbyists, entrepreneurs and others who supplement their income by selling goods to visitors. Locals too, but it’s the visitors that make the summer.

The borough has set aside an area near the City Dock to try something different this year: It’s leasing small spaces for the summer for small business that want to sell to tourists as the visitors stroll around town.

The intent is not to replace Front Street businesses, but rather to add to the town’s attractions by offering visitors more choices. The small entrepreneurs leasing the 150-square-foot spaces by the dock don’t do enough business to pay for a storefront, but they do bring money into the community.

It’s a similar idea over at the Nolan Center, which is working with a community volunteer to set up two outdoor market days when a larger cruise ship will be in port each day. The days are still to be decided.

The markets, which will be set up directly in front of the center, are something new, and certainly something worth trying.

“These markets are designed to help local vendors capitalize on high-volume cruise ship days,” the Nolan Center announced. “We’re not sure what the attendance will be, this is a brand-new thing,” with maybe another outdoor market in July, Nolan Center Director Jeanie Arnold said.

Borough and chamber of commerce officials know that tourist dollars are a boost to the economy, and they are looking for new ways to bring more visitors to town and getting them to leave more of their money behind. They also recognize the needs and year-round commitment of property tax-paying Front Street businesses, along with the added attraction for visitors of the smallest businesses that are more suited for a table or pop-up tent.

It’s a balancing act, adapting to what visitors expect and ensuring that everyone gets a chance at making sales.

Tourists don’t have unlimited dollars to spend, but we hope they spend as much as they can in Wrangell.