A Tour Is a Turn
A tourist travels for pleasure. The word comes from a turn, meaning a circuit that returns to where it began.
A tourist travels for pleasure and returns home. The word contains the definition: *tour* comes from the Old French for a turn or circuit, so a tour is a loop rather than a journey to somewhere. That is what separates a tourist from a traveller, a migrant or an explorer.
- Someone travelling for pleasure. *Tourists in the square.*
- Tourist as a modifier. *Tourist information.*
- Tourism — the industry. *Tourism supports the town.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tourist | A coach of tourists. |
| Plural | tourists | Foreign tourists. |
| Noun | tourism | Mass tourism. |
| Noun | tour | A guided tour. |
| Adjective | touristy | A touristy street. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Tourists outnumber residents in summer.A familiar complaint.
- The area has become rather touristy.Mildly disapproving.
- Tourism is the largest employer here.Economics.
Tourism terms
- Overtourism — visitor numbers beyond what a place can absorb
- Tourist trap — somewhere that exists to extract money from visitors
- Day tripper — a visitor who does not stay overnight
- Shoulder season — the quieter periods either side of the peak
- Sustainable tourism — travel managed to limit local harm
From *tour*, from Old French *tour*, a turn or circuit, from Latin *tornus*, a lathe. The *-ist* ending appeared around 1800, as organised travel began.
Tourist or traveller?
The distinction is mostly attitude. Technically a tourist visits and returns; travellers often use the word to distance themselves from package holidays.
What is overtourism?
Visitor numbers that overwhelm a place's infrastructure and residents. Several cities now limit cruise arrivals or short-term lets in response.