Visitor attractions are wide-ranging and can be based on unique interests, often changing with societal shifts and pop culture. Heritage sites, amusement parks, scenic views, zoos, beaches, city centers, events, and festivals all draw visitors. Residents as well as tourists enjoy visiting attractions and their proximity adds to residents’ quality of life as well as to the tourism economy.

More visitor attractions are increasingly being developed, or commodified, to meet the desires of the public to see and experience natural, cultural, and historic places. Development should ideally be community based and sustainable, especially when dealing with heritage sites. Visitors to these sites should ideally practice cultural sensitivity.

Visitor attractions can serve as demand generators or as visitor amenities depending on the varied interests of the traveling public. Both are important to a destination, one drawing the tourist to visit and the other fulfilling their need for entertainment while visiting.

Museums house and protect the culture, history, and natural assets of a society, yet they do so much more than that for a community. They are educational centers, resources for research, and the keepers of a society’s treasures. They have the ability to enlighten visitors to other ways of thinking and bring together those of different backgrounds. With such power, they also serve as the epicenter for cultural and environmental understanding.

Zoos and aquariums serve a role beyond exhibiting animals for entertainment purposes. They can be educational institutions, teaching children and adults alike about wild animals, habitat loss, and other concerns that should be brought to light in public conversations. They can also be conservation centers, helping to protect endangered animals and increasing population through breeding programs. Research, rehabilitation, and reintroduction programs help wild populations.

Amusement and theme parks offer rides, games, and elaborate experiences that entertain. Their success globally emphasizes the opportunity for growth and career potential. New technologies will drive ongoing innovation and competition within the industry.

Industrial attractions offer a unique opportunity to experience production, whether by witnessing the manufacturing of goods or participating in agricultural activities. Visitors are eager to see behind the scenes of factories, wineries, plantations, and farms. For the industrial business, opening doors to visitors can increase revenue, sales, and brand recognition.

The types of visitor attractions highlighted in this chapter— museums, zoos and aquariums, amusement and theme parks, and industrial attractions—offer a range of possible career paths. With broad appeal across generations and populations, as well as opportunities ranging from seasonal roles to executive positions, careers at visitor attractions are abundant and should continue to thrive and employ millions well into the future.