turismo
/tuˈɾismo/
The English word 'tourism' is translated into Spanish as turismo.
turismo refers to the industry of tourism. If you need to describe something as being related to tourism, you can use the adjective turístico for masculine nouns or turística for feminine nouns.
Meaning: industry (noun)
Which one should you use?
While turismo refers to the industry, the colloquial term turisteo is used to express the act of sightseeing.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to the tourism industry in a general sense, the noun is almost always preceded by the definite article el, forming el turismo.
How do you pronounce it?
/tuˈɾismo/
Did you know?
- While turismo describes the industry, Spanish speakers often use the verb turistear to describe the specific act of behaving like a tourist.
- While turismo is the general term, the phrase turismo sostenible has become a critical cultural buzzword in Spain and Latin America to combat the effects of over-tourism.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, the term turismo is frequently paired with rural to describe a specific tradition of staying in converted farmhouses and villages.
Examples in context
- Argelia quiere impulsar el turismo.Algeria wants to boost tourism.This sentence shows how to use turismo to express the idea of boosting the industry.Tatoeba #10209010 by Seael, translation #8262615 by Amastan
- Para nosotros, el turismo es muy importante.For us tourism is very important.This sentence demonstrates using turismo to state the importance of the industry.Tatoeba #3011620 by hayastan, translation #2685438 by fekundulo
- El turismo, las ventas al por menor y las finanzas abarcan más de tres cuartas partes del PIB.Tourism, retail sales, and finance comprise more than three-quarters of GDP.This sentence provides an example of turismo being listed alongside other economic sectors.Tatoeba #10531550 by Seael, translation #8905029 by The_World_Factbook
- El turismo es una industria vital para el desarrollo económico.Tourism is a vital industry for economic development.
- El Ministerio de Turismo promueve la belleza natural del país.The Ministry of Tourism promotes the country's natural beauty.
- Me encanta el turisteo por ciudades históricas.I love sightseeing in historical cities.
- Vamos a hacer un poco de turisteo por el centro.Let's do some sightseeing downtown.
- Vamos a pasear por la ciudad y descubrir sus encantos.Let's stroll around the city and discover its charms.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are discussing the economy in a café.
- Alejandro¿Crees que el turismo es bueno para nosotros?Do you think tourism is good for us?
- LucíaSí, el turismo crea muchos empleos aquí.Yes, tourism creates many jobs here.
- AlejandroEs cierto, Lucía, la ciudad lo necesita.It's true, Lucía, the city needs it.
- LucíaExacto, es nuestra principal industria.Exactly, it is our main industry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry turismo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
