tourism

noun

tour·​ism ˈtu̇r-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce tourism (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Koorimannil and his best friend had answered an ad online for jobs encouraging tourism to Thailand. — ABC News, 30 June 2026 Aksakal was accused of advertising a birth tourism scheme on Turkish-language social media pages. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 30 June 2026 The taxes paid by second-home owners keep the island’s public services afloat, and most businesses survive on tourism in the summer months—when all the ticks come out to feed. — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 The analysis looked at things like light pollution data, sky brightness, and overall sky quality to reveal the leading spots for astro-tourism. — Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for tourism

Word History

First Known Use

1811, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tourism was in 1811

Rhymes for tourism

See All Rhymes for tourism

Browse Nearby Words

touring car
tourism
tourist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tourism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tourism. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tourism

noun
tour·​ism ˈtu̇(ə)r-ˌiz-əm How to pronounce tourism (audio)
: the practice of traveling for pleasure or the business of encouraging and serving such traveling

More from Merriam-Webster on tourism

Nglish: Translation of tourism for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tourism

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