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

An additional 2% hotel, motel and restaurant tax also is collected to pay for parks and tourism. —Arkansas Online, 8 Oct. 2025

According to Tuhkuri, Endurance was originally named Polaris and was created for Arctic tourism before Shackleton bought it to use for polar exploration. —Joe Hernandez, NPR, 8 Oct. 2025

Even if your beat wasn’t geopolitics or the economic structure behind deep-sea tourism, you were supposed to drop everything and help perpetuate the flood, or find a way to work it into your coverage, however contrived. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2025

Brazil Welcomes Medical Tourists Brazil is a leading destination in medical tourism care because of its use of innovative technology. —Claire Dodds, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tourism

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

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