Leveraging higher education for cultural and heritage tourism in the European Union: curricular innovation, research integration, and societal engagement

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the multifaceted role of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across the European Union in driving cultural and heritage tourism. Moving beyond conventional instruction, it proposes a comprehensive tripartite framework designed to position universities as strategic catalysts for regional cultural preservation, innovation, and sustainable tourism development. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a conceptual-analytical approach combining a synthesis of EU-wide macroeconomic and cultural heritage indicators, a strategic SWOT analysis of institutional capabilities, and a comparative case evaluation of ten prominent best-practice models across EU member states (including Italy, Ireland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, and Poland). Findings – The analysis demonstrates that HEI engagement is often constrained by disciplinary silos and theory-practice gaps. To overcome these barriers, the proposed tripartite model articulates actionable pathways across three core pillars: (1) Curricular Innovation (interdisciplinary degrees, experiential field schools, micro-credentials), (2) Research Integration (problem-oriented conservation research, campus living labs), and (3) Societal Engagement (multi-stakeholder governance, community empowerment, and civic cultural mediation). Practical implications – The framework provides educational policymakers, university leaders, and regional development authorities with actionable guidelines to align academic curricula with the evolving creative economy, enhance graduate employability in cultural tourism, and establish sustainable institutional-community partnerships under EU initiatives. Originality/value – Grounded in the activities of the EU Erasmus+ Jean Monnet framework, this paper bridges higher education policy and sustainable tourism management, providing a unified European conceptual roadmap that translates academic capacity into civic and economic value.