The eight sectors of tourism

The tourism industry has been divided into eight different sectors or areas. They are:

• Accommodation

• Adventure Tourism and Recreation

• Attractions

• Events and Conferences

• Food and Beverage

• Tourism Services

• Transportation

• Travel Trade

The attractions tourism sector

Every province and territory in any country has major or minor attractions that appeal to visitors and residents and that generate tourism revenue. Attractions include historic sites, museums, halls of fame, art galleries, botanical gardens, aquariums, zoos, amusement parks, water parks and casinos. Many attractions are educational in nature, others are solely for entertainment. Some are both -"edutainment."

Great Britain has a wealth of attractions. The Natural History Museum is one of the standout memories of many children; the Science Museum contains more than 10,000 exhibits from the nation's collection; the British Museum is famous for one of the richest libraries in the world. There are castles and palaces like Buckingham Palace and Warwick castle, bursting to the towers with tales of treachery and torture, passion and power and above all fascinating people, times and events. Large amusement parks like Legoland, Chessington and Thrope Park are home to fun, laughter and some of the most exciting roller coaster experiences in Europe. London Zoo always provides plenty of things to see and so much to learn. This country has a lot to offer.

The same can be said about Ukraine as well. The Historical Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv is the country’s largest museum. Its branch, the Museum of Historical Treasures, is noted for its collection of ancient Scythian artifacts. The Museum of Ukrainian Art contains the largest collection of Ukrainian medieval paintings and wood carvings. Ukraine also has a number of open-air museums that preserve native architecture. There are lots of historical and culture monuments such as St. Sophia Cathedral, the Golden Gates, Pechersk Lavra, which attract thousands of visitors all the year round. The fortresses of Kamianets-Podilski, Hotyn, and Galych are invaluable monuments to the history of the Ukrainian people. There are several water parks on the Crimean Peninsula, the source of amusement for children and adults.

All attractions, large or small, need people to sell food and souvenirs, market the attraction, maintain the facility and manage the operation. The attractions sector offers a wide range of employment opportunities, ranging from seasonal to permanent positions. There is also variety in the types of jobs available. Casinos, a rapidly growing area of the attractions sector, add many new positions, such as pit bosses and dealers.

Employment opportunities in the attractions sector

The attractions sector definitely offers a wide range of employment opportunities, as the number of attractions in each city or town continues to grow. And whenever a new attraction is organized it needs people to maintain order and proper operation, to sell the entrance tickets, to market the attraction, to interpret its cultural or natural value and to oversee the whole chain of operations in general.

Even if you haven’t visited the attraction yet, you may learn some peculiarities about it from the mass media, surf the corresponding site on the Internet, read beautifully designed brochures and booklets. Thus, you become familiar with the work of the public relations assistants whose goal is to promote the attraction and describe it so that you want to come and see it with your own eyes as soon as possible. Of course, they are responsible not only for the production and distribution of print and electronic materials. They maintain positive relationships with media personnel; write copies for media reports; assist in developing public relations plans or programs as well as arrange and conduct interviews. In a word, they act as spokesmen for the attraction.

At the gate you are faced with the cash operator who identifies the price of admission to an attraction or the cost of related goods and services. He provides customers with tickets or proofs of purchase, answers questions, offers directions and shares knowledge of attraction with customers.

Some more specific information, however, can be received from the heritage interpreters who help others understand and appreciate cultural or natural heritage of the attraction. They work in many different settings from parks, museums and aquari­ums to botanical gardens. Interpreters do not simply lecture - they have a complete understanding of their subject matter and share their interest and knowledge with others. The different audiences make this position interesting and stimulating as they have to adapt to different styles and needs of participants.

A little bit similar to this occupation is the position of museum curators. They interpret materials or artifacts for the public as well, but not only that. Curators are specialists in a particular academic discipline relevant to a historic site/museum/gallery’s collections. They research and recommend acquisition of artifacts and are responsible for the care of objects, materials and specimens. They have highly specialized skills and knowledge in their areas of study and may research or authenticate history of artifacts as well as co-ordinate the storage of collections using proper conservation methods.

Mostly unseen to the public, but significant in its value is the work of the sales and marketing director and his assistants. They develop and conduct sales campaigns, marketing and promotional plans; direct the activities of staff involved in sales, marketing, advertising and public relations; co-ordinate sales activities with other work units or departments; prepare and submit plans, budgets, progress reports and annual sales reports. Thus, they are responsible for the successful marketing and sales activities of an organization and in doing so they impact the direction and goals of a company.