Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Leisure, Sport and Tourism
About
Most employers in the leisure, sport and tourism sector are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) although opportunities also exist in governing bodies, local authorities and sports associations. Larger organisations in this sector also recruit graduates to a range of positions including finance, IT, sales and marketing and general management.
Careers advice
- Prospects: Leisure, sport and tourism
- TARGETjobs: hospitality, leisure and tourism
- Careers in Sport
- Blue Dome - guide to outdoor qualifications and careers
- Guardian Careers Q & A: Career options in the sports industry
- Jobsinfootball blog - includes 11 tips to get started in the Football industry - aimed at students/graduates looking to break into the industry
Sport and leisure
- Leisure Management
- Sport Industry Group
- Sport Business
- Leisure Media - titles for the leisure industry, which offers free e-zine subscription
Tourism
- Travel Trade Gazette
- TravelMole - online community for travel and tourism sector
Professional bodies
These represent people working in the sector, providing training and networking opportunities. They often provide careers support for students and graduates.
They also provide development for people already working in the sector. Follow them on LinkedIn or visit their websites for news, contacts, work experience and vacancies.
The main professional associations for this sector include:
Sport and leisure
- SkillsActive - sector skills council for active leisure, learning and wellbeing
- Sport England - includes recognised sports and national governing bodies (NGBs) and advice on coaching roles
- Register of Exercise Professionals
- English Federation of Disability Sport
- Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)
- UK Coaching
- Women in Sport
- RISE - charity, funded and supported by Sport England, working across Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland
- Institute for Outdoor Learning
- British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions
Tourism
- People1st - sector skills council for hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism
- Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
- Institute of Travel and Tourism
- VisitBritain - body for inbound tourism and the national tourism agency
Government bodies
Government bodies include UK Sport and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, responsible for sport and tourism and regulating entertainment, gambling and racing.
Find professional bodies outside the UK on GoinGlobal by selecting ‘Professional and Personal Networking’ on each of the individual country guides.
Making contacts
Making contacts is essential for success in this sector. Many jobs in this field are gained through networking and speculative applications. You could start with:
- social media, particularly LinkedIn and Twitter, can be useful for making contacts, following employers and finding opportunities
- Newcastle alumni on LinkedIn – find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice
- Graduate Mentor and The 1 Hour Project - both platforms aim to match students with industry professionals who can provide invaluable insights. Sign up to be connected for a one hour meeting
Events
Recruitment fairs, open days, talks and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. Regular events organised by the Careers Service include Employer & Sector Insights and Recruitment Events.
Reference books available in the Careers Service
Working in Tourism: The UK, Europe and Beyond: for Seasonal and Permanent Staff by Verite Reily Collins
Working in sport by James Masters
Related sectors
You may also be interested in Event Management & Hospitality, Museums and Galleries and Sports Science.
Or see our other Explore Occupations pages for more options.
Roles & Skills
The following includes descriptions of typical duties, entry requirements and case studies.
Bookmaker
Cinema manager
Fitness/Leisure centre manager
Outdoor activities/education manager
Personal trainer
Sport and exercise psychologist
- See Psychology
Sports administrator
Sports coach/instructor
Holiday representative
Sports development officer
- Prospects
- National Careers Service
- TARGETjobs
- The Guardian - A working life: the football development officer
Theme park manager
Tour operator/manager
Tourism officer
Tourist information centre manager
Travel agent/agency manager
Skills employers look for
Employers in this sector will be looking for evidence of the following:
- strong communication and interpersonal skills
- excellent customer service ability
- good organisation skills
- teamworking capability
- leadership ability
Gaining Experience
Getting into this sector is extremely competitive. Work experience can be invaluable in developing relevant skills. It also demonstrates your commitment to recruiters.
Relevant ways of getting experience include:
- Newcastle University Students' Union has related opportunities – see societies and the NUSU Athletic Union
- becoming a Student Ambassador, leading campus and accommodation tours
- improving language skills, which can be valuable in the tourism sector. The University's Language Resource Centre offers self-study resources
Finding work experience
Vacation/seasonal work is often available in theme parks, caravan and holiday parks and campsites, holiday resorts, health/sports centres (especially local authority), and watersports and ski resorts.
Find part-time and work experience opportunities in 'Leisure, sport, and tourism' on MyCareer
Voluntary opportunities are common across the sports and recreation sector. Get involved with local sports clubs, initiatives, and projects to develop your skills, gain experience and make contacts. The following offer opportunities within this field:
For more opportunities, see Volunteering. This includes details of Do-it, where you could gain experience with outdoor pursuits, fundraising, sports coaching, and activity management.
Internships
A few of the larger leisure companies like Expedia and Kings Recruit offer placements.
Sports England - occasionally offer internships
Challenger Sports provide British soccer coaching camps in the USA and Canada. They recruit people from the UK who are thinking of a career in coaching.
Search for internships on MyCareer.
Search for more internships for this sector at TARGETjobs.
See also Internships, Placements & Shadowing for more sources of internships.
Finding organisations
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- Find organisations on MyCareer - click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- The Health and Safety Executive has a searchable database of licensed activity providers
- UK Parks.com gives information about holiday and residential parks in the UK
See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.
Finding Jobs
Competition is strong, especially for entry-level positions, and there are few graduate entry schemes.
Graduate entry schemes that exist are mainly limited to larger leisure organisations. Many organisations don't have resources to run graduate programmes and simply take on staff when needed.
You may have to begin working at a lower level and progress towards your ideal career.
Use the following resources to find advertised vacancies and employers for speculative applications.
Vacancy sites
Sport and leisure
-
Search for vacancies on My Career
- UK Sport Jobs
- GuardianJobs: graduate jobs in sport and fitness
- Sport England: Careers
- Sports Coach UK
- Global Sports Jobs
- Youth Sport Trust
- Betting Jobs.com
- jobsinfootball.com
- RPJobs.co.uk
- Blue Dome
- Leisurejobs.com
- Leisure People
- Leisureopportunities.com
- LG Jobs.com
Tourism
- Search for vacancies on My Career
- Anywork, Anywhere.com
- Traveljobs
- Travel Trade Gazette
- Travel Weekly Jobs
- BH&HPA Park Jobs
Graduate schemes & entry level jobs
A few larger companies in this sector, mainly in the leisure industry, offer graduate training schemes. These include:
- British Airways
- The British Horseracing Authority (BHA)
- Merlin Entertainments
- Parkwood Leisure
- TUI Travel PLC
Some travel agencies also offer graduate schemes in head office roles.
You can also search for vacancies on MyCareer
Specialist recruitment agencies
Finda list of Sport, Recreation & Leisure recruitment agencies on Agency Central.
See Graduate jobs for more vacancy sources.
Finding organisations
Not all jobs are advertised. The majority of organisations in the sector are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
They may not advertise positions, so a speculative application can be an effective approach. You may also find work through networking in the industry.
Find organisations that interest you and get in touch, always with a named contact. Be specific about why you are writing to them and what you’re looking for.
Show your enthusiasm for the sector and highlight any relevant skills. Don’t give up if you don’t get a reply – follow up with a phone call or email to show that you’re keen.
- Find organisations on My Career - click on ‘search organisations’ under the Vacancies tab
- The Health and Safety Executive has details of licensed activity centres and providers
- UK Parks.com provide information about holiday and residential parks in the UK
See Researching Employers for more ways to source and research companies.
Find jobs and additional vacancy source websites outside the UK on GoinGlobal.
Work for Yourself
Being self-employed is relatively common for some roles in the leisure, sport and tourism sector.
Personal trainers are often self-employed, renting space in a gym, setting up facilities or visiting clients at home.
START UP provide information on information, activities and support for eligible Newcastle students and graduates interested in self-employment.
COBRA provides factsheets and reports on starting up and running a business. COBRA can only be accessed through a University computer on the Newcastle campus.
HFE's blog gives the advntages and disadvantages of being employed vs self-employed in the fitness industry.