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.
Virgin’s plan to redeem principal on its notes “strategically aligns” with its plans to ramp up space tourism flights, according to the company.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
It was believed that the site would be better suited for community, tourism or leisure facilities.
From BBC • Jun. 1, 2026
Primm, an alternative to Vegas for Southern Californians that cut 45 minutes off the drive, suffered a decline in tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic and saw increased competition from tribal casinos in California.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, whose mandate is to protect swimmers from attacks, says nets have helped significantly reduce fatal encounters since the 1950s, when a spate of attacks devastated local tourism.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
Their turning to tourism to stave off starvation.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
