If you want to work in an exciting, vibrant environment, and be part of a team, then a career in the visitor attractions industry could be for you.
The UK visitor attraction industry is made up of a diverse range of businesses, including theme parks, zoos, museums, and city and seaside attractions, and offers a variety of career opportunities.
Currently, only careers within theme parks and other ‘attractions’ are included in UKSP. For information about careers in museums, please contact Creative and Cultural Skills and for opportunities within zoos please contact Lantra .
News
Millions of visitors flock to the UK’s theme parks and visitor attractions each year, and as an employee or manager, your job is to help them have fun! Whether you choose to be a ride operator, to show performer, food and beverage staff or gift shop worker, you will have an integral role to play in providing an enjoyable experience for guests of all ages.
The majority of theme parks and attractions are fairly large and cater for day visitors and tourists. Attractions in some cities, such as London, Edinburgh and York, are more likely to attract overseas visitors.
By far the biggest player in the theme park and city attraction industry is Merlin Entertainments Group. Merlin is currently the world’s second biggest visitor attraction operator, behind Disney, with 13,500 employees and around 35 million annual visits to its attractions. Its acquisitions of LEGOLAND Parks in 2005, Gardaland in 2006 and Tussauds Group in 2007 increased its scale tenfold in just three years
Theme parks and attractions operated by Merlin include Alton Towers, London Dungeon, SEA LIFE centres, the London Eye, Thorpe Park, Madame Tussauds and LEGOLAND Windsor.
The industry also includes a number of independent theme parks and fairground attractions. Many of these are found at seaside resorts and are family-run, such as Blackpool Pleasure Beach and Flamingo Land theme park.
Career opportunities and skills needed
There are a wide variety of career opportunities within the theme park and attractions industry – you could work in any of the following areas:
- Operations
- Retail
- Food and Beverage
- Maintenance
- Admissions
- Displays / aquarist
- Rides
- Performance / events
- Marketing
- Finance
- HR
Occupations can vary dependent on the size and nature of the attraction.
For a lot of the ‘entry-level’ positions, many employers say that the willingness to work hard and a good attitude are the most important things they look for. For customer-facing roles, good people skills and an appreciation of the importance of customer service are essential.
Committed workers who are willing to take on new responsibilities are most likely to progress. Individuals who show enthusiasm and commitment to their job are often rewarded by employers with rapid progression up the ladder.
If you are looking to move into higher level (e.g. director) positions in this industry, you are likely to require previous managerial experience and to be able to display a solid understanding of the industry.
Click here to download an industry profile factsheet.