IntroductionListed as one of the 1000 places to see before you die, Kangaroo Island is a major tourist destination located off the coast of South Australia. It mainly attracts tourists from South Australia as it is an easily accessible destination to reach. A short ferry ride across the Backstairs Passage on the Sea Link ferry will take you to the town of Penneshaw. The island "... has become a sought-after tourist destination thanks to its national parks and the wildlife that exists within them." The island's main industry is agriculture, but it also has a thriving food and wine industry. When considering the success of a nature-based destination, costs must be considered 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 increased rate of visitors traveling to Kangaroo Island has led the island to be more aware of the impact that tourism is having on their natural environment. Since "Kangaroo Island is one of the world's greatest pristine natural destinations", the environment would be the most important thing when considering the impact tourism has on the island. As a result, a Tourism Optimization Management Model (TOMM) was implemented in 1997, designed specifically for Kangaroo Island. One of its environmental objectives is that "visitor activity has minimal negative impact on the natural environment". Driving on the beach is an environmental cost mainly related to tourism on the island. To check 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 for 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 carefully monitored through various programs such as the Tourism Optimization Management Model (TOMM). This model actively monitors the environmental and economic impacts that tourism is having 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, like all 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.