Visitor attraction general manager
Visitor attraction general managers look after the operation and finances of an attraction, and the health and safety of staff and visitors.
- Starter salary£24,000 a year
- Experienced£50,000 a year
- Typical hours37 to 41 a week
What you'll do
As a visitor attraction general manager, you could:
- manage budgets
- work with suppliers, local government, trade bodies and the media
- oversee health and safety procedures
- recruit and train staff
- manage staff and lead meetings
- develop new business opportunities
- promote the attraction to increase visitor numbers
Working environment
You could work at an information centre, at monuments and castles, in a museum, at an art gallery or at a zoo.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- business management skills
- leadership skills
- customer service skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to sell products and services
- maths knowledge
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to become a visitor attraction general manager
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- a college course
- working towards this role
- applying directly
University
There is no set entry route to become a visitor attraction general manager but it may be useful to do a relevant foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in:
- tourism
- resort management
- marketing
- business management
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
College
You could do a college course in a subject like leisure and tourism or business management.
This would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need and may help you to get a job as a trainee assistant manager.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
Work
It may be possible to work your way into this job by starting in a customer service or hospitality role, with an attraction, and apply for promotion when you've got enough experience.
Direct application
You can apply directly for jobs if you've got relevant skills and knowledge. For example, you'll have an advantage if you've worked in visitor attraction management, or have experience in leisure, hospitality, catering or retail management.
Restrictions and requirements
You may need a driving licence for some jobs.
Career path and progression
With experience, you could progress to senior roles like regional or group director, for example with a heritage or entertainment organisation.
Career tips
You could find work with:
- local authorities
- theme parks
- national parks
- museums
- sites of cultural and historical interest
Guides for this industry
Related roles
- Job roleHotel manager
- Job roleMuseum attendant
- Job roleTour manager
- Job roleTourist guide
- Job roleEvents manager
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0