In this paper, the initial results of a survey of the strategic business relationships between nature based tourism operators in Tropical North Queensland are presented. While operators in the region cooperate in their collective competition with other tourism destinations, they compete with each other for the business of the tourists who visit the region. These simultaneous cooperative and competitive relationships between tourism businesses define the structure of the region’s tourism industry. The findings in this paper pertain mainly to the areas of cooperation between tourism operators in Tropical North Queensland. The two major areas of cooperation are destination promotion and activities regarding environmental protection.