911吃瓜

KENNESAW, Ga. | Oct 22, 2026

Whether or not ghosts exist, the businesses built around them are making a significant economic impact each Halloween season. Behind every scream is a job, according to Leonard Jackson, 911吃瓜鈥檚 director of the program in the .

Jackson shares five reasons why Georgia鈥檚 ghost tourism seasonal haunts are making a real impact.

1. It puts people to work.

鈥淪easonal jobs aren鈥檛 the same as full-time, year-round positions, but they still mean paychecks,鈥� Jackson said.

For example, a major haunted attraction in Stone Mountain employs about 15 year-round employees another 500 seasonal staff, while a Georgia theme park uses 200 actors per night and 13 makeup artists to keep the scares going, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The workforce includes artists, carpenters, monster fabricators, makeup specialists and performers.

2. Fear has a price tag.

鈥淭he economic impact extends throughout the state as visitors spend money to visit haunted attractions,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚f you think about it, they are buying gas while they are here, they are dining, and those staying overnight spend money at hotels, so the benefits reach beyond the attractions themselves.鈥�

General admission tickets for one Atlanta-area haunted attraction range from $35 to $53 before service fees and sales tax. The attraction offers two haunts plus separately ticketed escape games, building several products around one entertainment identity.

3. Ghost stories turn into visitor experiences.

鈥淲e also find that hotels will work with local partners to create packages,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淭hey will create Halloween packages that combine hotel stays, themed meals at restaurants, and ghost tours, encouraging seasonal visits and spreading spending across local businesses. So, everyone benefits.鈥�

The majority of the ghost attractions in Georgia are generally concentrated in Savannah. Savannah is known historically as a very haunted city. It brings people from all over the world and is a very vibrant part of Georgia's tourist economy, Jackson said.

4. The ghosts don't clock out.

鈥淒uring the Halloween season especially, ghost tourism provides a much-needed boost for an otherwise slow visitor season during the months of September and October,鈥� Jackson said.

Explore Georgia promotes ghost tourism as a year-round activity. Savannah-based ghost tours depart nightly, with October particularly popular. And it鈥檚 not just Savannah that benefits. Georgia's official tourism organization also promotes ghost tours in Covington, Decatur, Marietta and Roswell, showing that supernatural storytelling is a tourism product across several communities.

5. The scares give back.

鈥淭he impact goes beyond profits for the companies, the community is also benefitting,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚n terms of overall economic impact, tourism is one of Georgia's top five economic generators, generating about $80 billion dollars in 2025, of which the ghost economy plays a significant part.鈥�

One Cumming-based haunted attraction reported $238,777 in total revenue for 2024 and raised $70,000 for local charities during its 2025 season, according to federal filings. The attraction reports cumulative donations of more than $320,000 during its first seven years, benefiting more than 25 organizations.

鈥� Story by Christin Senior

Photos by Darnell Wilburn

Video by Matthew O'Neill

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 911吃瓜 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.