As one of the largest communities, the European Union influences not only Europe but also the global economy, and it acts as a wheel that drives both economic and non- economic activities. Thus, it directly or indirectly affects tourism. The fist part of this thesis highlights concepts such as the institutions of the European Union, the main goals and tasks of its operation, as well as the importance of the introduction of the euro. Croatia, as a small tourist country, can owe its economic growth to exceptional seasonality in both positive and negative terms. This part of thesis seeks to show the ways in which Croatia has used the opportunities of the European Union available from pre-accession agreements to full membership in the form of the use of European funds. Also, a survey was conducted to see how familiar the residents of the Republic of Croatia are with basic information about the European Union as well as opportunities from operational programs and opportunities available to them for tourism-related business. In the last empirical part of the thesis, 80 Croatian residents from 12 counties and the City of Zagreb were surveyed. The survey served as an insight into the attitude and perception as well as the familiarity of the people of Croatia with basic information related to the European Union and the impact it has on rural tourist destinations. This thesis provides an insight into the real picture of Croatian tourism and economy, especially the part related to the development of rural destinations and the use of European funds through successful projects.