The scent of autumn was wafting through the town. A faint, almost metallic chill creeping through the damp leaves, cinnamon, and trees. But it wasn’t just the pumpkin patches and flashing jack-o-lanterns that drew tourists here. They came looking for something darker.
They came looking for ghosts.
Hooray, fear! hail
Halloween, not so long ago a niche semi-holiday for students, has turned into a lucrative season for the travel industry as tourists flock to haunted destinations in droves eager to immerse themselves in spooky experiences. .
Consumer spending on Halloween is expected to surge to $12.2 billion this year, marking a significant rebound in holiday participation above pre-pandemic levels. Data from the National Retail Federation shows that more Americans are participating in Halloween-related activities, including traveling.
Growing demand for experiences such as destination events, haunted attractions, and seasonal travel is driving a significant portion of the spending growth.
Halloween is no longer just one night, but an entire season that lasts from late September to October. From the ghost cities of the savanna to the cobbled streets of New Orleans and further afield in Edinburgh and Prague, the economic impact of spooky tourism is undeniable. Ghost tours and paranormal activities currently contribute up to 20% of local tourism revenue for these haunted attractions.
spooky season
It’s no surprise that Salem, Massachusetts, known for the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692, is one of the most booked cities for Halloween, according to Airbnb. In this city, more than 20% of the annual stays occur in October.
But it’s not just traditional haunted places that are making money. According to a recent report from World on Holidays, Halloween hotel bookings jumped 73% year-over-year. This is primarily driven by families seeking seasonal getaways. Solo travelers are also actively participating, with bookings up 59% compared to last year.
The real surprise? Minneapolis leads the way with an astonishing 573% year-over-year increase in Halloween hotel bookings. Atlanta isn’t far behind, with a 496% increase, while Charlotte, Kansas City, and Austin have also seen huge increases of 388%, 379%, and 302%, respectively. This surge reflects not only a desire for seasonal travel, but also a craving for something more immersive, and certainly spooky.
“Exciting yet safe”
Destinations across the country are gaining in popularity. For example, the Kentucky Department of Tourism’s “Kentucky After Dark” campaign tapped into travelers’ love of “exciting yet safe” thrills and blended real history with supernatural folklore. The campaign generated 658 million impressions in its debut year, and that number has since grown to more than 1 billion.
Robbie Morgan, director of the Lawrenceburg/Anderson County Tourism Commission, describes the effort as akin to creating a real-life horror movie experience for tourists. “The goal is for travelers to view Kentucky After Dark like their favorite thriller, exciting but safe,” she says.
Powered by TikTok and Instagram, Kentucky After Dark has expanded in its second year, gaining 38,400 followers and more than 4.7 million views. With an optimized social media strategy, the campaign achieved an impressive cost per view of $0.0046, 2,000% more than typical media efforts.
