Salem Haunted Happenings Named one of North America's 100 Best Events

Haunted Happenings is right around the corner, and with it, an influx of tour buses.

The people who operate those buses, the American Bus Association (ABA), recently recognized Haunted Happenings as one of the top 100 events in North America for 2016.

Highlighting the event for 2016 makes sense, since Destination Salem Executive Director Kate Fox said tours and hotel rooms are booked as much as a year in advance for Haunted Happenings.

Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the September/October issue of Destinations magazine, states that Salem Haunted Happenings offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, according to ABA.

“The attractiveness of Salem Haunted Happenings as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for Salem, Massachusetts,” said Peter J. Pantuso,

CTIS, ABA’s president and CEO. “The real news here is that Salem Haunted Happenings has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when re-energizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives Salem an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”

According to studies completed by researchers at Dunham and Associates, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave up to $25,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.

“Tour groups spend more and stay longer,” Pantuso said. “That’s why Haunted Happenings is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motor-coach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”

ABA’s 2016 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected Salem Haunted Happenings from hundreds of event nominations submitted by ABA members. Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of
other relevant criteria.

2016 marks the sixth year Salem Haunted Happenings has been recognized as an ABA Top 100 Event. The festival has previously been recognized in 1998, 2001, 2013, 2014, and 2015. The Top 100 Events list is available online at buses.org/Top100.

More information on Salem Haunted Happenings is available at HauntedHappenings.org.