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

Sauvage noted that France is also the beneficiary of roughly 77 billion euros annually from tourism, with Americans representing about 10 percent of visitors. —Miles Socha, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

Over the past few weeks, authorities in Puerto Vallarta in the Mexican state of Jalisco, a hot spot for American tourism, have recovered the bodies of the women in separate parts of the city, according to local reports. —Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 26 May 2026

Wu’s tourism director John Borders IV left City Hall for a job with Boston Legacy FC in March amid the city’s contentious public-private rebuild of White Stadium. —Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 26 May 2026

Moab is the gateway to the amazing Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and has long been a very popular tourism destination that lacked anything near this level of lodging. —Larry Olmsted, Forbes.com, 26 May 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