Based on the construction goal of "thick foundation, strong skills and high quality" of the applied undergraduate college of Suzhou University, taking the teaching reform of tourism economics as an example, through the understanding of the content and characteristics of tourism economics, the exploration and research are carried out around the course orientation of "tourism economics", the role orientation of teachers and students in the teaching process, and the innovation of traditional teaching methods, According to the actual situation of the students in the universities of technology application and the needs of the cultivation of application-oriented talents, the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions are given from the aspects of teaching content system, classroom teaching methods and course assessment methods.