Guardian article about paranormal tourism - thoughts?

There's a new piece in the Guardian (paywalled but summary's on their site) about paranormal tourism becoming the UK's "next big thing." They've interviewed people visiting Pendle Hill, Pendle Hill, Borley Rectory ruins, and various haunted pubs. The article basically treats it as tourism quirk rather than genuine paranormal interest - lots of quotes about "Instagram-worthy ghost photos" and "spooky day trips."

It's annoyingly dismissive of actual believers while simultaneously admitting that the paranormal tourism industry is worth millions annually. There's also a line about how the government "tacitly encourages" paranormal tourism because it drives rural economy without requiring investment.

Anyone else read it? Or are we all too busy being mocked to care about media representation?

The Guardian does this every time - treats paranormal stuff as quaint local colour rather than something worth serious investigation. But honestly? Their dismissiveness probably keeps genuine researchers under the radar. Let tourists take selfies at haunted locations, at least it keeps the sites funded and accessible for actual work.

What annoyed me was the quote from the tourism board saying paranormal interest proves "people want narrative-driven experiences." Like we're all LARPing rather than documenting genuine phenomena. But I suppose their readers need it dumbed down like that.

Actually I thought it was decent for a mainstream outlet? They didn't explicitly call everyone mad, which is progress. And if paranormal tourism money funds local heritage sites that preserve places where stuff actually happens, that's fine by me. Let people think it's entertainment if it keeps the locations open.

The part that got me was the claim that paranormal interest is "growing because people distrust official narratives." That's... probably accurate? But framing it as a tourism trend rather than genuine concern with truth is very on-brand for legacy media.