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

The city’s tourism department has announced that free concerts will continue to be held at Copacabana Beach at least through 2028. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 4 May 2025

International tourism brings more than $2 trillion a year into the U.S. — until now. —Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2025

And with cosmetic tourism becoming more mainstream, reports of patients dealing with these challenges while abroad have become more common—especially if the providers are unvetted. —Parizaad Khan Sethi, Allure, 2 May 2025

Worth noting is the experiential Capella Curates program, which offers guests backstage opera access that typical cultural tourism can't touch. —Paul Jebara, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 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