Advocates of redeveloping the Port of New Hampshire say business brought by small cruise ships and ferries would boost the economy in downtown Portsmouth.

Members of the Downtown Business Association learned about the benefits of cruise ship activity during a monthly meeting at the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. on the morning of March 21. Peter Van Ness, general manager of Cruiseport Gloucester, spoke about plans for a $6 million marine terminal in Gloucester, Mass., which is expected to generate millions of dollars in the local economy.

According to Van Ness, there is a growing market for cruise ships that travel through the night while visiting various destinations during the day. Cruise ships traveling along the Atlantic Coast in the Northeast could stop at Massachusetts ports in Martha’s Vineyard, Salem and Gloucester before making their way up to Portsmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine, he said.

Most people traveling on cruise ships are wealthy citizens over the age of 55, Van Ness said. The average cruise ship passenger spends $100 at each destination, while crewmembers spend an average of $90. After departing the ship, visitors typically eat at local restaurants and visit numerous retail stores, shopping for clothes, artwork, jewelry and other souvenirs.

“These are people that really want to take in the place and then take some of it home with them,” Van Ness said. “It will make a tremendous economic difference.”

Portsmouth resident Joel Carp, a longtime advocate of improvements at the port, said the city would explore options for small or mid-sized cruise ships carrying up to 300 passengers. Such ships could pass underneath the Memorial Bridge and dock at the port despite the strong currents of the Piscataqua River, Carp said, adding he would also like to see more cargo activity at the port.

Van Ness said cruise ship activity in New England peaks during the autumn months. Gas Light owner and DBA president Paul Sorli said cruise ships visiting Bar Harbor in September and October bring $10 million to $12 million into the local economy.

A bill currently before the N.H. Legislature would give the Pease Development Authority more power over port operations. PDA Executive Director Dick Green and Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand support the idea of redeveloping the port.