"Tourist" redirects here; for the album by Athlete, see Tourist (album)

For the Roxette album, see Tourism (album)

see List of popular tourist regions

Tourism is the act of travel for the purpose of recreation and business, and the provision of services for this act. Tourists are people who are "travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited" (official UNWTO definition). The distance between these two places is of no significance.

A more comprehensive definition would be that tourism is a service industry, comprising a number of tangible and intangible components. The tangible elements include transport systems — air, rail, road, water and now, space; hospitality services — accommodation, foods and beverages, tours, souvenirs; and related services such as banking, insurance and safety and security. The intangible elements include: rest and relaxation, culture, escape, adventure, new and different experiences.

More on [ Tourism ]

NPR Topics: Visual Arts

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Television is no longer considered the enemy of education. In the past couple of years, PBS has made a big push to develop shows that help kids prepare to read — but are the kids watching?
At Beijing Olympics, Photographers Shine
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:31:00 -0400
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Waterboarding At Coney Island: The Thrill That Chills
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It might not be surprising that waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning, would become the subject of satire. But it was shocking to many when artist Steve Powers created an attraction called the Waterboard Thrill Ride.
Finding Beijing's Not-So-Hidden Art Treasure
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0400
A few years ago a handful of renegade artists staked their claim just outside Beijing, away from the eye of the authorities. Now 798, as the area is called, is a bustling arts zone supported by the Chinese government.
A Cross-Country Road Trip Back In Time
Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:54:00 -0400
In the summer of 1973, photographer Stephen Shore set out on a quintessential American adventure. Now, 35 years later, his journey has become the focus of a book titled A Road Trip Journal. It reflects an America when gas was about 43 cents a gallon.
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Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:07:00 -0400
A work by Vincent Van Gogh was recently uncovered at a museum in the Netherlands. But it wasn't lost in some dusty corridor, it was hidden under the paint of another Van Gogh. Scientists found it by using a giant X-ray machine.

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