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.
"Six establishments, six stories, six distinctions enriching this prestigious list," Tourism Minister Serge Papin said during the presentation.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
After growing steadily for several years, international tourism declined 3% last year compared with 2024, according to New York City Tourism and Conventions, the city’s official destination-marketing organization.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Visitor numbers to Morocco-controlled Western Sahara have risen by more than 50% over the past seven years, data from the Moroccan Ministry of Tourism shows.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
"Tourism isn't just about leisure and recreation. It could also contribute to people's physical and mental health," Ms. Hu added.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
The large one wobbled the standing up sign that said Kerala Tourism Development Corporation Welcomes You with a kathakali dancer doing a namaste.
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.
