I have always disliked scams which prey on vulnerable or gullible people.
I noticed a post last week (8th Feb) on the 'Macarthur' Facebook page promoting "Ghost Tours". The page is run by Macarthur Tourism. I left a very polite comment asking two very reasonable questions:
(1) How many ghosts will each visitor be guaranteed of seeing for their whopping $60.00 outlay?; and
(2) how many spirits would they "connect with?" (to use their words).
What was their answer, you ask? The answer was a very weak <delete this comment>
I once asked on a local newspaper website how many of these Ghost Tours have been held so far and how many positive ghost sightings have been recorded. I received no answer then, either.
The words "Ghost Tour" imply, to me, a viewing of several ghosts. Because people have never seen a ghost, they see this as an opportunity to do so. For a payment of $60.00, visitors should expect positive ghost sightings. The fact that the organisers are unwilling or unable to say how many ghosts will be seen ought to of public concern. That the very asking of a question in itself had to be censored by 'Macarthur' FB is quite astonishing.
'Macarthur Tourism' is an excellent organisation, subsidised by Campbelltown Council and Camden Council. They provide a major service to the community. Yet they are promoting "Ghost Tours" which apparently cannot guarantee a single ghost sighting on any of their tours. It seems to me that you need to be very gullible to hand over $60.00 and walk around an old house with creaking floorboards and no lights but that's just my opinion.
Do local councillors believe that extraordinary, unsubstantiated claims about the supernatural are good for tourism in Macarthur? Is it ok to take $60.00 per person with no guarantee they will see what they paid to see? Should local tourism organisations be required to substantiate their claims before taking money off gullible people?
I have always felt a slight unease about this district's obsession with ghosts. However, the Fisher's Ghost Festival, organised by Campbelltown City Council, makes no claim that anyone will see a ghost, so I see no particular problem with that; but Ghost Tours should be subjected to audits about their implicit claims.