Follow U.S. immigration and life in the U.S.: According to U.S. media on the 7th, as Halloween approaches, haunted houses, which are typically decorated in a spooky manner and are places where children play scary games during Halloween, have now developed into a tourism industry with an annual revenue of $300 million, attracting more and more adults.
This year, Americans are expected to spend nearly $7 billion on Halloween. The National Retail Federation's Halloween survey shows that among the 158 million consumers preparing to celebrate Halloween this year, about 20% plan to visit haunted houses. There are approximately 2,500 haunted house attractions worldwide, the vast majority of which are in the United States.
Haunted house attractions are becoming larger in scale, and more activities are being organized. Many haunted houses have arranged more adult-oriented activities, such as rock concerts, mud runs, balloon battles, and adult-only semi-nude haunted house tours.
Haunted house owner Kopman stated: “The haunted house industry is just beginning. With advancements in high technology and the emergence of electronic animation, the haunted house attractions we have now did not exist ten years ago.” Kopman estimates that larger haunted house attractions can earn between $200,000 to $300,000 in a single season, while even smaller haunted house tours can generate $50,000 in revenue.
Thirty-seven-year-old Zemiou from New Jersey said he will hike to Massachusetts to visit haunted houses during Halloween, stating, “Haunted houses seem to reflect everyday life during the holiday. As Halloween becomes more popular and increasingly commercialized, haunted house activities will continue to improve.”
Stafford, owner of an entertainment group operating haunted houses in Denver, San Antonio, and Phoenix, said that haunted houses “are completely different from before; they have now become a living entertainment activity, with high production and entertainment value.”
Kopman mentioned that tickets for haunted houses range from $15 to $40 each. He believes that the development of the haunted house industry is primarily due to the extensive use of computer graphics, which has led to job losses for special effects professionals in the film industry, but they have found opportunities in the haunted house industry.
Jubi, who operates a haunted house attraction in Ulster Park, New York, said: “We have created a Hollywood-style haunted house, with makeup artists who are professionals. People love Halloween, and autumn is the season for tourism and entertainment; our business is continuously growing.”
