Copyright NBC10 Boston
This Halloween, even more people celebrated in Salem, Massachusetts, than last year, according to the city's tourism organization. Destination Salem said there were 96,000 visitors downtown on Friday, Oct. 31, a 7.2% boost over the 2024 holiday. City officials had said on Halloween that they were expecting between 50,000 and 80,000. The organization, which describes itself as "a nonprofit, public-private partnership" funded by the city and businesses, reported 1.1 million unique visitors throughout this October, citing data from Placer.ai. In total, there were 1.4 million visits in October, a 6.3% decrease from 2024 that Destination Salem attributes to heavy rainfall last month. "Salem's ability to sustain more than one million visitors every October for six consecutive years underscores the city's lasting appeal and the strength of our visitor experience," Ashley Judge, executive director of Destination Salem, said in a statement. "Even with nine rainy days this year, Halloween Day visitation rose sharply, showing that people are still eager to celebrate in Salem regardless of the forecast. We continue to see travelers planning ahead, staying longer, and engaging more deeply with the city's arts, culture, and hospitality community." "I'm incredibly grateful to the City staff, our businesses and partner organizations, and, of course, the residents of Salem, for helping us again have a safe and successful October season," Mayor Dominick Pangallo said in a statement shared by Destination Salem. "Welcoming over a million people to our community over the course of a month is no small feat, but thanks to the hard work and thoughtful planning of many, we were able to do so again this year. We’re already at work reviewing how we can continue to improve October management, to keep Salem vibrant and magical, and to continue being able to share our many stories with the world." Pangallo said last week that the city was doubling the number of police officers to keep the celebration safe. Police also used new anti-vehicle barriers to close roads..
