Dalmatian Hinterland is the continental inland region located in Central Dalmatia, and in the case of this particular postgraduate thesis refers to the part of Dalmatian Hinterland within the Split-Dalmatia County. Dalmatian Hinterland is an area containing great tourist potential, as well as currently being relatively touristically low-developed. Organized tourist activity in the area is only starting. This specialist postgraduate thesis deals with the role of key actors in the development of rural tourism in Dalmatian Hinterland, while exploring the role of the representatives of the public, private and civil sectors in this developmental process. The integrated rural tourism model (IRT) refers to the binding and networking between the aforementioned participants (the representatives of the public, businesspeople and citizens) with the aim of a more efficient tourism development in rural areas. This approach implies a strong involvement of local communities, a partnership between all participants and completely structured developmental processes. This thesis explores the local and foreign literature dealing with the topic of rural tourism, as well as practical examples from well and less-developed rural tourist destinations. The goal of this specialist postgraduate thesis was to prove how the development of rural tourism creates a socio-economic benefit for the local community, that is to say local citizens. The second part of the thesis researches the perception of Dalmatian Hinterland as a tourist destination within the local community, the relationship between individual actors in rural tourism and their perception of mutual responsibility when it comes to tourist development. The final aim of this specialist postgraduate thesis is to map the guidelines for future integrated developmental scenarios in the rural area of Dalmatian Hinterland.