SALEM — The City once again broke visitation records on Halloween day with 87,351 visitors, a nearly 37% increase in total visitors compared with last year’s 63,856, according to data provided by Destination Salem.
Over the entire month, the city brought in a total of 1,040,600 visitors, an increase of 8.6% versus last year’s total visitors.
The record turnout is thanks to a combination of warm weather, a national increase in consumer spending for Halloween, and Salem’s unique history and growing Halloween reputation, Destination Salem Executive Director Ashley Judge said.
“The beautiful warm weather on Halloween had an impact on how many folks came to celebrate with us,” she said. “My husband, daughter, and I gave out 1,200 pieces of candy in an hour and 20 minutes!
“We live just a few houses away from the Ropes Mansion, Allison’s House in Hocus Pocus, the ‘third-most-googled home of all time’—so next year we’ll have to increase our candy haul!”
“This year we had the opportunity to share the city we all love with more visitors than ever,” Mayor Dominick Pangallo said. “I want to thank all the city staff, the Destination Salem team, and all our community partners who make October possible here in Salem. I also want to thank residents for their patience throughout the season.”
City officials are constantly reviewing ways to manage the greater number of visitors, he said.
“We also know that, while there are impacts and challenges from October, our strong visitor economy is what keeps many of our small businesses in business, creating the vibrancy that we, as residents, get to enjoy all year round.”
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202