The leisure industry includes entertainment and recreation, and a whole range of related products and services - cinema, horse riding, theme parks, betting shops, gaming casinos. Leisure is a labour intensive service industry. The range of career opportunities available is wide and diverse. Most people who opt to work in this area have the aim of helping others to enjoy their leisure time.

Potential areas of work include:

• Leisure centre or gymnasium - as a manager, lifeguard, activities instructor, personal trainer
• Coaching, instructing, managing - health and fitness consultant, sports manager, horse riding, football and other sports clubs, outdoor activities i.e surfing and kayaking 
• Entertainment - work in cinemas, horse-racing, theme parks, adventure centres
• Voluntary and Social - youth clubs, community centres

Employers in this sector include large leisure companies, leisure centres, golf clubs, boxing clubs, theme parks, health and fitness centres, hotels, sports arenas, colleges, cultural organisations, tour operators, local authorities, community centres, cinemas and music venues.

Fitness is an especially big element, either from people engaging in intense competitive sport or working in their own time on their health and fitness. Sports clubs are a central part of Ireland’s social fabric, with many volunteers committing their free time to supporting their clubs. 

People working in the sector often have an interest in the area they work in and thrive on helping others persue that activity. It’s simple really, there’s no better surfing instructor or hike leader than someone who loves the activity.  

The nature of the work can change greatly depending on the activity you’re supporting; jobs in cinemas or sports halls maybe be very similar to jobs in other sectors. But jobs supporting outdoor activities will be like no other, requiring plenty of physical activity, working with large groups of people and often working irregular hours. Given the nature of many of the activities, health and safety is a major concern for those working in the sector.