In an attempt to take over the local ghost tour businesses around the United States two big businesses set out to run the local ghost tours out of business. Let me repeat that… the goal was to end the local ghost tours and replace them with their internet-based corporation.
One company’s deep pocket come from investors. The other is a wealthy individual who used his technology skills, having worked at Google and IBM as well as deep pockets. One is based out of Virginia with some of the investor funds coming from Saudi Arabia and the other is based in Louisiana.
One, who is the latter above, started by hacking into the local ghost tour website. Which as The Original Charleston Ghost Tour (once Charleston Ghost Tours) can testify to. This initial tactic was useful because if you know local ghost tours, or have taken one, these are quirky people who love their local history. Web design and investment in is not a priority. Next was to use the local business name, begin where they begin and tell the same stories. We all know the guides hired through Indeed were told to take our tours and replicate them. We have 30 local ghost tour businesses around the country who tell the same story. After being in business for years they have top SEO. Next was to invest a large amount of money into Viator/TripAdvisor a company that dominates in the tourism industry and will promote whoever gives them the most money. TripAdvisor/Viator are willing to look away when fake reviews are added to their platform because of the money especially as they attempt to re-coup their losses post-pandemic. Ghost tour chain corporations then spend money on Google ads, Microsoft sponsorships and Groupon. The ghost tour market for customers is now a tidal wave of the franchise’s information. All of the customers are looking for the local ghost tour. Many have taken a ghost tour before; it is after all a great way to learn history. Now they are hard to find and worse their contact information has been hacked and re-directed. Just ask Baltimore Ghost Tours.
If we could do a shout out to all of the disappointed customers, the call would be answered by thousands. All of those thousands of people gave thousands of dollars to the ghost tour chains and they moved to more states. Duping tourists.
Included in this blog is the story of the writer William Sidney Porter (O’ Henry) as told by a ghost tour national chain business. The tour group is standing in front of the O’ Henry Museum in downtown Austin. Also, a flyer distributed by a ghost tour national chain using my business name.
This is an example of what tour guides around the country are referring to concerning the gibberish history the out of state companies are telling about their cities. We can’t blame the guide. It is the fault of the franchise company protocol of indifference to what is beginning told on their tours.
- O’ Henry did not meet his wife Athol in the Capitol of Texas. This is a probably made up because he worked in the General Land Office which is located in the Capitol Complex. He met Athol in 1885 when she was a high school student. They eloped in 1887 the year he started working at the General Land Office.
- O’ Henry was accused of embezzlement in 1894 and 1896 was found guilty of embezzlement by Federal Auditors and a trial date was set. This tour guide explains he was actually innocent the missing money was due to: “technical mismanagement because they didn’t have the technology back then that we have now, like facial recognition.”
- Franchise ghost tour guide: “He knew he was going to prison for 5 years (no trial yet).
- Tour guide: “her death bed is still in this museum; it is said to be the object that ties her soul to this place.” (In fact, Athol died at her parents’ home at 307 East 4th Street which is two blocks East of Congress. The bed was not her bed.”
- “Athol was a very powerful spirit; she knew how to manipulate and go places to be in the world without being in the world. I feel like they are still here, but it is a happy haunting.” (Porter died in 1910 in New York City and is buried in Ashville, North Carolina.)
