The European Union is the leading regional tourism destination in international tourism. This status is confirmed equally with her emissive and receptive character. The success of her business in international tourism is the result of numerous factors. In addition to the tourism tradition, the authentic and heterogeneous resource bases, it is important to certainly mention tuorism development concept and approach. Although the European Union does not have a unique tourist policy that is binding on all member states, the issue of it`s development is well-regulated. Today there is a significant number of initiatives, guidelines, recommendations and programs that regulate a tourism development in the whole area, especially the sustainable one. They are the result of work and engagement of the leading institutions of the European Union, especially European Commission. The issue of sustainable tourism development is governed by the general knowledge of sustainable development, which has developed contingently over the past few decades. Today, the European Union is a leader in international sustainable tourism and that can be argumented by the numerous awards and prizes awarded of the EU destinations.