noun
Etymology
Origin of tourism
Explanation
Tourism is the travel business — it caters to people who are visiting a place. Tourism turns a destination into a vacation spot. Tourism is also a word for the act of traveling, especially abroad. Fanny packs are not required. If you’re visiting a new place, stop by the office of tourism and they’ll give you the lowdown on the local hotspots. If you’ve visited somewhere because it has beautiful sights, great museums, or interesting history, you were a tourist. Tourism is the business that makes money from tourists. As the word implies, tourism often involves actual tours, which could be on foot, in a bus, or even on the back of a llama.
Vocabulary lists containing tourism
The United States
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Eastern Europe - Introductory
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Pacific Islands - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bitter flap about historical memory appears to have had little if any impact on business, tourism and other links between Spain and Mexico.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026
A slowdown in global tourism spending, coupled with a squeeze on consumer sentiment as inflation spikes once more, is creating a perfect storm for the sector, Scholar said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The couple's approach taps into a bigger shift in UK tourism, straying away from standard accommodation and towards what industry observers describe as "experience-led travel", where the stay itself becomes the destination.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
But the war's impact on consumer spending and tourism remains unclear.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Determined not to let Chapter Eleven’s condemnation of tourism ruin our travel plans, Milton was making airplane reservations and haggling with car rental agencies.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
