MetaHeritage has put together a Compendium of Good Practices, developed within the framework of the project, to identify and document practical approaches to cultural heritage valorisation, regional development and interregional cooperation. The compendium brings together examples from across Europe that demonstrate how cultural heritage can support tourism development, digitalisation, entrepreneurship, skills development, community engagement and cross-border collaboration.

The selected practices illustrate different methods of preserving, interpreting and promoting cultural heritage while generating social, cultural and economic benefits. The examples cover topics such as immersive technologies, digital documentation, cultural routes, heritage-based tourism, traditional knowledge preservation, institutional cooperation, business model innovation and territorial governance.

The good practices were collected through the MetaHeritage partnership and its stakeholder networks, together with an Open Call between April and June 2026, which invited interested entities to send in their examples. Overall, the good practices involve public authorities, universities, research centres, cultural institutions, clusters, SMEs, foundations, tourism organisations and civil society actors. The selection was based on the relevance of the initiatives to the project objectives, their demonstrated results, stakeholder involvement, potential for transferability, and contribution to sustainable regional development.

The examples are grouped in six thematic chapters, representing the principal areas in which heritage organisations are currently innovating: digital heritage solutions, innovation and preservation, cultural routes and tourism development, heritage-based business models, institutional recognition and knowledge, and cross-border cooperation. The thematic structure facilitates comparison between similar initiatives while highlighting the diversity of approaches adopted across different regions and organisational contexts.

• Digital Heritage Solutions, exploring the use of digital technologies to enhance heritage preservation, interpretation and accessibility.
• Innovation & Preservation, examining how heritage conservation can support entrepreneurship, community development and economic activity.
• Cultural Routes & Tourism Development, showcasing heritage-based approaches to destination development, visitor experiences and sustainable tourism.
• Heritage-Based Business Models, highlighting sustainable organisational and financial approaches to heritage management.
• Institutional Recognition & Knowledge, focusing on research, documentation and knowledge transfer that strengthen heritage governance and visibility.
• Cross-Border Cooperation, presenting collaborative approaches to heritage management and development across regional and national borders.

The compendium is intended both as a repository of tested practices and as a resource for future collaboration. It contributes to the objectives of the MetaHeritage project by supporting knowledge exchange, promoting interregional learning, and highlighting practical approaches that combine heritage preservation with sustainable economic and social development.