Tour guide fees raised in Salem to limit large crowds

SALEM, Mass. — Josephine Kennedy lives in Salem. and she’s gearing up for the crowds to come.

“August to October, it’s really crazy,” she said. “It’s hard for the people who live around here.”

One growing source of annoyance for Salem residents: the massive proliferation of walking tours. Mayor Dominick Pangallo said the number of licenses issued to walking tour guides has grown since 2006 from 28 to, last year, more than 230.

What hasn’t grown during that time: the licensing fee for tour guides. For eighteen years it’s remained at $10.

“We’re trying to conduct enforcement to make sure everybody’s out there following the same rules, not obstructing the public way and complying with the existing ordinances and there’s a cost that entails,” said Pangallo.

And that cost will be borne by the walking tour industry, he said. Not taxpayers. Beginning January 1, 2025, the licensing fee for tour guides in Salem is going up... way up: from $10 to $350.

“We were completely shocked,” said Beth Crowley, founder of Witch City Walking Tours. “The reasoning was they haven’t raised the rate in 18 years but I would agree with a more gradual change.”

Despite the drastic rise, Crowley doesn’t expect the increase to close down companies — especially smaller ones, with only a couple of guides. But her company is in a different orbit.

“I have 37 employees and they all have a license,” she said. “It’s 37 times 350.”

And it’s payable January 1, 2025, and every year thereafter.

“For all my tour guides, I’m still going to pay for their licenses, absolutely,” Crowley said. “We’ll just have to figure out where it’s gonna come from.”

Pangallo said that while walking tours may be an important part of the local economy, some residents have complained about getting pushed off the sidewalk or putting up with tour noise — which can be made worse by amplification.

On the other hand, if amplification is not used, the tour guide has to talk in a louder voice, Crowley said. Witch City tour guides use amplification, except in certain neighborhoods. “We make sure that we’re very respectful,” she said.

Pangallo said capping the number of walking tour company licenses is not in the immediate future.

“That doesn’t mean it’s off the table,” he said. “But I think right now we’re just focused on trying to set up some guardrails.”

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