tourism

noun

tour·ism | \ ˈtu̇r-ˌi-zəm

How to pronounce tourism (audio)

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Definition of tourism

1 : the practice of traveling for recreation

2 : the guidance or management of tourists

3a : 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 scenic byways have long been seen as a major part of the nation's $2.9 trillion tourism industry, according to the U.S. Travel Association's 2019 figures. — Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, "Explore the Country on These 49 New ‘All-American Roads’ and Scenic Byways," 22 Feb. 2021 That raises questions about how the tourism industry might cope and dashes hopes of many who hoped the vaccine rollout could pave the way for trips abroad. — Chronicle Staff, San Francisco Chronicle, "Coronavirus updates from the Bay Area and beyond: Feb. 4-10, 2021," 18 Feb. 2021 Nepal, a country of 30 million people, was closed to foreigners much of the last year because of the pandemic, devastating the tourism industry and resulting in shuttered businesses and lost jobs. — Star Tribune, "Buddhist temple food pantry a lifeline for Nepalese students," 14 Feb. 2021 The tourism industry has been reeling from the political turmoil following the 2011 popular uprising that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak. — Samy Magdy, ajc, "Egypt: Archaeologists unearth ancient beer factory in Abydos," 13 Feb. 2021 So it's been a fantastic way to support these historic buildings and the tourism industry. — Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, "On Location: Sam Heughan on His ‘Men in Kilts’ Road Trip Through Scotland," 12 Feb. 2021 The new jobs offer a small bit of hope in the still moribund New Orleans tourism industry. — Anthony Mcauley | Staff Writer, NOLA.com, "Four Seasons New Orleans sets out to hire hundreds in a rare bit of positive hospitality news," 9 Feb. 2021 Such passes could be essential to restarting the tourism industry, said Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. — New York Times, "Coming Soon: The ‘Vaccine Passport’," 4 Feb. 2021 One of her competitors in Dana Point's renownedwhale-watching tourism industry, Gisele Anderson, vice president of Capt. — Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY, "Dana Point, California, where marine mammals 'live in harmony with people,' earns distinction as first Whale Heritage Site in US," 28 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tourism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about tourism

Dictionary Entries near tourism

tourist attractions

Statistics for tourism

Last Updated

26 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Tourism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tourism. Accessed 9 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for tourism

tourism

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tourism

: the activity of traveling to a place for pleasure

: the business of providing hotels, restaurants, entertainment, etc., for people who are traveling

See the full definition for tourism in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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