Aboriginal Torres Strait Islanders In many countries and cultures throughout the world, tourism is a large source of income for many individuals. Being able to support oneself and family through the education of tourists about their culture has to be a rewarding experience. Unfortunately, there are also people that are so eager to earn money that they exploit other individuals in their quest for money that massive damage occurs to the country and culture. This effect is increased when there is an indigenous culture involved. These cultures that are living by the traditions of their culture can be vulnerable to unscrupulous individuals creating complications within their culture and the very industry that requires that culture draw visitors. The success of Indigenous tourism depends upon a tripod composed of the draw that the indigenous cultures have on creating a unique destination on a global scale, the government who balances the need for economic opportunities within these communities which allows the government to proportion its money in other areas with the third leg of the tripod limiting the amount of damage both cultural and environmental that the increase in tourism can bring to an area. Balancing these needs requires that compromises be made along each side so that the tourism that brings in much-needed revenue to these areas is not responsible for the destruction of the areas that bring the tourists to the area in the first place. Therefore considering the situation a win-win one is very optimistic, these three legs of the tripod end up competing with each other as they try to ensure that their individuals’ needs are met rather than considering what the effects will be on the industry as a whole. The specific area of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) has increased in the level of importance throughout the last few decades due to the increased marketability of this area’s aboriginal culture in overseas markets. As the international exposure continued to grow the area received more revenue from the tourist industry but also has to balance the demands of tourism and the effect that the increased visibility from global exposure will have on their traditional lifestyle. There is a concern that the government’s use of the aboriginal arts and music to promote the tourist industry to Australia in general rather than to specific areas where the aboriginal art and culture is created in the ATSI area of Australia. Effects of this while it does increase the number of tourist dollars into the country there is only a slight benefit to the tourist business owned or operated by the ATSI individuals. The relationship between government-sponsored tourism and indigenous cultures has the ability to either help or hurt the industry. In order to best promote these cultures, they must be given enough autonomy to protect their culture but combined with partnerships that are well thought out in enhancing the cultural history of the tribes while protecting that very same history. If the indigenous population becomes mainstreamed or destroyed in other ways the tourist industry will also be destroyed. The combination of using the indigenous cultures to increase the amount of revenue into the economy must balance the gains to the economy and minimize