Small island economies have traditionally been popular tourist destinations. Achieving sustainable tourism development is a major challenge facing such economies. Yet, little research focusing on understanding small islands’ residents attitudes have been conducted in the literature. Faced with unique characteristics, they deserve special attention, raising concerns about whether existing models and findings can be applied to understand community responses to tourism in such economies. To lessen this gap, this study develops a unique model for understanding small island community’s attitudes to tourism. Pertinent factors likely to influence support for tourism are incorporated in the model.