Peterborough College Travel and Tourism Students Step Into The Role of Tour Guides at Peterborough Cathedral.

Level 3 Travel and Tourism students visited Peterborough Cathedral for a hands-on look at what it takes to be a professional tour guide.

As part of their Touring Guide Module, the visit to Peterborough Cathedral provided students with the chance to watch professional guides in action and see how they keep visitors interested while sharing local history.

Staff at the Cathedral walked the group through the site’s rich past, including the burial place of Katherine of Aragon, the cathedral’s iconic painted ceiling and its six surviving stained-glass windows. 

As well as experiencing a traditional tour, the group tested out the Marco AI exploration tool to see how digital technology compares to human guides. While tech is useful for exploring after the visit, students learned that nothing beats the warmth, stories and personal touch of a real person. 

During the visit, students explored practical operational details, such as managing group pacing, timing rest stops and adapting to venue temperatures, while learning how deep background research enables guides to handle spontaneous visitor questions. Finally, students gained insight into the industry’s official badge and accreditation system, connecting real-world practices directly to professional standards. 

Thank you to Peterborough Cathedral for providing our students with the experience needed to prepare them for their upcoming exam.