tourism

noun

tour·​ism ˈtu̇r-ˌi-zəm 

1

: the practice of traveling for recreation

2

: the guidance or management of tourists

3

a

: the promotion or encouragement of touring

b

: the accommodation of tourists

Examples of tourism in a Sentence

The city developed the riverfront to encourage tourism.

She has a job in tourism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Designed to fly at Mach 2 The TMS-10 project centers on a 10- to 15-seat supersonic business aircraft intended for business travel and high-end tourism. — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026

Still, that’s not to say that the undisputed tourism capital of Indonesia doesn’t have a lot to offer. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 20 Sep. 2026

Las Vegas tourism took a hit last year, but new data suggests Sin City may be showing signs of life again. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026

The tourism website’s Instagram page also shows nearby waterfalls and mountain ridges steeped in fall colors. — Charlotte Observer, 19 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tourism

• ism
• prism
• schism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism
• anticommunism
• antisemitism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• colloquialism
• colonialism

Kids Definition

tourism

noun

tour·​ism ˈtu̇(ə)r-ˌiz-əm 

: the practice of traveling for pleasure or the business of encouraging and serving such traveling