Overview of the leisure, sport and tourism sector in the UK

Whether you're assisting a sports coach or managing a theme park, there are plenty of opportunities to work in this exciting sector

What areas of leisure, sport and tourism can I work in?

Opportunities can be classified into three main categories:

• Leisure involves activities such as betting and gambling (e.g. casinos and horseracing), culture and heritage (e.g. museums, galleries and heritage sites), leisure and entertainment (e.g. cinemas, bowling alleys, arcades, holiday/summer camps, and theme parks).
• Sports include coaching and performance analysis, facilities management, outdoor activities, sport and leisure centre management, sports development, sports event management, and disability sports.
• Tourism involves passenger services (e.g. air, sea, rail, and road) and travel and tourism (e.g. hotels, travel agencies, tour operators, tourist information centres, attractions, and adventure tourism).

If you have excellent people and customer service skills, then a hands-on, customer-facing role would be best suited to you. However, if you prefer to work behind the scenes, then graduates are needed in a variety of head-office functions including administration, finance, IT, marketing, HR, and sales. If you are up for the challenge of combining the two, then general management jobs are widely available.

When researching careers, you'll likely see some crossover with other sectors such as:

• healthcare (sports physiotherapy)
• hospitality and events management (hotel careers)
• media and internet (sport or travel journalism)
• teacher training and education (PE teaching)
• transport and logistics (passenger services).

For examples of job roles in this sector, see graduate jobs in leisure, sport and tourism.

Who are the main graduate employers?

Examples of large companies operating in this sector include:

• Bannatyne Group
• Better
• British Airways (BA)
• British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
• Camp America
• Carnival UK
• Center Parcs
• David Lloyd Leisure
• Expedia
• Fitness First
• Flight Centre UK
• Hilton Worldwide
• InterContinental Hotels Group
• Marriott International
• Merlin Entertainments
• Odeon Cinemas
• Parkwood Leisure
• P&O Cruises
• Serco Leisure
• TUI
• UK Sport.

The majority of employers in this sector are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Employment opportunities are also available in local authorities, sports associations and national governing bodies.

What's it like working in the leisure, sport and tourism industry?

If you think that a career in the leisure and tourism industry is an easy way to have fun while being paid, or that working in sports means coaching a premier league football team, then you should think again. Careers in this sector require hard work, dedication, and a genuine passion for what you do.

Graduates entering the industry can expect:

• Long or unsocial working hours - Many jobs require you to work early mornings, evenings, weekends, and bank holidays.
• A relatively low salary - This is particularly true in travel and tourism. However, salaries in sports and leisure vary depending on the size and location of companies, and whether the organisation is local authority or privately owned.
• Job satisfaction - Helping people to enjoy their free time, reach their fitness potential, and travel the world can be incredibly rewarding.
• Flexibility - Employees are often hired on seasonal contracts. Opportunities for part-time work and career breaks are available.
• A high level of responsibility - Within leisure and tourism, you'll be responsible for ensuring that customers get their money's worth. Working in sports, you'll often be responsible for a person's physical well-being. Progression in the sector can be fairly quick.
• Opportunities to travel - Local and international travel is usually a feature of many jobs within the leisure, sport, and tourism industries.

To find out more about typical salaries and working conditions in your chosen career, see job profiles.

Do I need a degree?

Having a degree-level qualification is not a requirement for many careers in the leisure, sport, and tourism industries, and many professionals in the travel and tourism sector have climbed the career ladder by combining lower-level qualifications with relevant work experience.

Despite this, the number of graduates entering the industry is increasing. If you want to start your career on a graduate scheme, typically offered by larger organisations, gaining an undergraduate or Masters qualification is essential.

Most companies in the industry recruit graduates of any degree subject, and your interest in a particular sport or leisure activity is equally as vital as your degree. Generally, a degree in business, facilities management, travel and tourism management, hospitality management, languages, or a sports-related subject will be beneficial.

However, to become a sports coach, you'll need the appropriate coaching qualification for your sport. Some degree programmes provide the opportunity to gain coaching qualifications. For more information, see sports coaching courses. A relevant degree is mandatory for roles such as sports and exercise psychologist or sports physiotherapist.

If you aspire to become a tourism officer, a degree in business, journalism, modern languages, or tourism management may prove useful, although the role is open to all graduates. It is possible to enter without a degree or HND if you have relevant experience. For managing a theme park or becoming a holiday rep, employers emphasise the importance of having relevant work experience rather than a degree.

Masters degrees are not mandatory, but they could increase your chances of employment in competitive fields. While degree-level qualifications aren't always necessary, possessing the right skills in this customer-facing industry is incredibly important.

Employers look for:

commercial and business awareness

• excellent communication skills
• the ability to motivate others
• enthusiasm
• problem-solving skill
• flexibility
• language skills
• organisational skills
• teamwork.

Find out more about what skills employers want.

Where can I find work experience?

There are many ways to gain work experience in the leisure, sport and tourism industry. You can take a work placement as part of your degree, work part-time while at university or during the summer, or do some related voluntary work.

Formal internships are also available, but it may require some research to uncover opportunities. Large companies in this industry are more likely to offer internships and work experience, and speculative applications may be useful to secure your place.

If you aspire to be a sports coach, you can assist a coach to help you get started, as recommended by UK Coaching. You can find your nearest sports club through County Sports Partnerships (CSPs) in England.

Kings Recruit and Challenger Sports both offer placements and voluntary opportunities in sports management, coaching, holiday camps, and cruise ships. They recruit people from the UK looking to pursue a career in coaching.

Do-it is an organisation that advertises voluntary work opportunities, where you could find yourself gaining experience helping with outdoor pursuits, fundraising, sports coaching, activity management and more.

To find out more, see work experience and internships.

Can I do an apprenticeship?

In the leisure, sport and tourism industry, apprenticeships are also available at different levels and provide a viable alternative to university. You can take an apprenticeship in instructing exercise and fitness at Levels 2 and 3 (intermediate and advanced). This can lead to jobs as a gym/fitness instructor, leisure centre assistant, personal trainer or yoga and pilates teacher.

Within the sports field, you can also complete an apprenticeship to become a sports coach, PE teaching assistant, gym instructor or lifeguard. Travel and tourism apprenticeships are also easy to find, such as the Level 3 Travel Consultant from Zenith Training or the Cabin Crew Level 3 from AS Training.

To find out what's available, see sports apprenticeships or travel and tourism courses.

Find out more

• Explore travel and tourism jobs
• Discover sports graduate jobs
• Check out what's on offer in the leisure, sport and tourism sector.