Cultural tourism in the Republic of Croatia is based on rich and preserved culture and also in cultural and natural heritage. Preserved and authentic culture is a foundation for including locations on UNESCO World Heritage List. The subject of the research is the role and impact of UNESCO Heritage and the culture in tourism of the Republic of Croatia, and how important it is to nurture national culture and heritage and include it in tourism. The Republic of Croatia is a small European country with lots of natural and cultural sights and also with a very unique and authentic tradition. There are 10 Croatian sights on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and 17 elements on UNESCO Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices. All of the sights and elements of UNESCO World Heritage are described in this paper, along with the role of each of them in the tourism of the Republic of Croatia. In this paper overall impact of protected heritage in tourism is reviewed through analyses and recognition of the destinations that hold protected locations in comparison with other destinations in Croatia, there are also suggestions for improvement in the management of protected locations and overall promotion of Croatian heritage through tourism. Cultural tourism is a part of every destination and it also alongside cultural attractions and protected locations represents the national culture that is cherished by its people. It is very important to preserve the elements of cultural tourism and offer them to everybody not just to domestic residents because experience is important to visitors and they can also learn new things from the culture of foreign nations and domestic residents can keep on nurturing their culture and tradition.