Entertainment Officer is a relatively recent professional definition.
This job is carried out on a holiday site, usually a holiday village, or even in large hotels, but, anyway, wherever entertainment is required.

In a village, the Entertainment Officer’s duty is to organize the day for all the guests, be it adults or kids, offering assistance, stimulating participation and proposing activities that will make the guests’ stay more fun and enjoyable.

The Entertainment Officer’s activity is a product of team work and his independence is limited by the entertainment program agreed with the Chief Entertainment Officer of the village.
Article 11 of Italian Law 217/1983 (an outline law for activities related to tourism) gives the first official definition of an Entertainment Officer as “he who professionally organizes the spare time of groups of tourists with recreational, sports or cultural activities”.
On average, availability required ranges from 2 to 8 months, and provides monthly stipend, room and board and round trip ticket.

According to some research, young people who are recruited to work in holiday villages as entertainers or to perform similar jobs are almost ten thousand every year. Entertainment is a fascinating experience both for people who decide to make it once and for those who choose it as their “job”. But pay attention: it is an hard work which requires a commitment of many hours a day. Holidays are different!

To work as a tourist entertainer in a holiday village it is not necessary to have particular educational qualifications. The requirements are: secondary-school diploma, which grants a satisfactory general knowledge, an age included between 18 and 30 years, a strong aptitude towards dealing with the public and the knowledge of one or more foreign languages.
Preferential activities are sport, music (especially if attested through licences and certificates), as well as previous similar work experiences.
Among their personal aptitudes, tourist entertainers must have good communication faculties, a cheerful nature, spontaneity, creativity and imagination, resistance to strength and tensions, dynamism, self-control and organizational ability. Patience, understanding, open-mindedness and common-sense are other important qualities and it is also fundamental to have a great willingness over travels and long-term journeys.
Entertainers must be able to face potential situations of hostility, aggressiveness, anxiety or concern and to restore equilibrium and harmony.