It might be the only place in the world where a one-fingered salute is a polite and friendly gesture.

Kangaroo Island is a “real place” says the world’s only Professor of Responsible Tourism Management, Harold Goodwin, of Leeds Metropolitan University UK.

Prof Goodwin was on the island recently to see for himself if all that he had heard was true.

He was “immensely impressed” by what he found, particularly the island’s Tourism Optimisation Management Model, or TOMM.

“I had very high expectations of TOMM. It is unique in the world and I wanted to see for myself if it really existed,” Prof Goodwin said.

In Australia to speak at a conference on the Gold Coast, Prof Goodwin made the long journey south just to see Kangaroo Island for himself.

“There is a real sense of not just being a tourist here but being a guest, being made to feel very welcome and to really have a chance to share in the lifestyle and facilities available to the locals. The index finger salute between drivers is a good example of the small community, friendly nature of the island,” he said.

Prof Goodwin said the TOMM model was “extremely powerful” in involving local people in tourism, collecting and disseminating valuable information about tourist operations and promoting public/private co-operation.

TOMM manager Toni Duka said a recent example was the revelation that day trippers make up only 4 per cent of visitors to the island, something many locals would not have realised without TOMM.

Prof Goodwin said nowhere else in the world had been collecting data as TOMM has done for almost 10 years.

He confirmed that what people in the UK knew about Australia could be boiled down to a handful of issues – Sydney, Uluru, animals, Alice Springs, the Great Barrier Reef, the River Murray water issue and “the jewel in the crown” Kangaroo Island.

As with many visitors, he was overwhelmed by the size of the island and the exceptional wildlife/wilderness experience as well as the need to stay longer to experience everything the island has to offer. He said TOMM was at the forefront of helping the island adapt to the changing needs of tourists.

He said increasing the cultural experience – through food, wine and art – and encouraging the right type of visitor to stay longer would be the keys to future tourism success. “Tourism is like fire. You can use it to cook your meal or it can burn your house down. It’s all about how you control it,” Prof Goodwin said.