In this paper we present the findings of a study examining tourism operators' responses to environmental regulation. Using evidence from five case studies in Eastern Australia, we assess how the three variables of the perceptions of environmental regulation, the perceptions of the regulatory agency, and the relationship between the operators and the regulators, can affect the responses of operators in sensitive natural areas. Our findings extend current literature on environmental regulation and highlight how operators' perceptions of environmental regulation significantly influence their responses to regulation. The paper illustrates the need to understand the regulatory relationship from the perspectives of both regulators and tourism operators. It concludes by addressing the practical issue of improving the regulatory relationship and the broader question of the human side of environmental regulation.