Introduction Ranked as one of the 1000 Places to See Before You Die, Kangaroo Island is a premier tourist destination located off the coast of South Australia. It mainly attracts tourists from South Australia as it is an easily accessible destination. A short ferry ride across Backstairs Passage on the Sea Link ferry will bring you to the town of Penneshaw. The island “has become a sought-after tourist destination because of its national parks and the wildlife that exists there. » The island's main industry is agriculture, but it also has a thriving food and wine industry. When considering the success of a primarily nature-based destination, costs must be considered in order to determine its success. The environmental, economic and socio-cultural costs of Kangaroo Island are of great importance if it is to remain a sustainable tourism destination. Environmental effects Over the years, the increasing rate of visitors to Kangaroo Island has led the island to be more aware of the impact of tourism on their natural environment. Given that “Kangaroo Island is one of the largest pristine natural destinations in the world,” the environment would be the most important thing when considering the impact of tourism on the island. As a result, a Tourism Optimization Management Model (TOMM) was implemented in 1997. It was designed specifically for Kangaroo Island. One of its environmental goals is that “visitor activity has minimal negative impact on the natural environment.” Beach driving is one of the environmental costs primarily associated with tourism on the island. To control this, Emu Bay is the only beach where cars are allowed on the sand. The preservation of this beautiful......middle of paper......positive and negative effects on the region. These socio-cultural, economic and environmental costs all contribute to the success of a tourism destination. The costs associated with Kangaroo Island tourism do not outweigh the benefits, as these costs are closely monitored by various programs such as the Tourism Optimization Management Model (TOMM). This model actively monitors the environmental and economic impacts of tourism on the island, without letting them ruin the destination. Costs such as destruction of the natural environment and seasonality do not outweigh the benefits that tourism brings to the region, such as any economic benefits. Kangaroo Island is a sustainable nature-based tourism destination that successfully balances all costs associated with tourism on the island to provide a beautiful environment for tourists..