The 20th century 1902 saw the first advertising campaign to bring healthy visitors to Torquay - rather than people recovering from illnesses. Torquay changed in character from being a winter holiday resort to being a summer holiday resort . After the Great War an effective advertising campaign by The Great Western Railway Company was responsible for making Torquay a major resort. The busiest day was on August Bank Holiday in 1938, just before the outbreak of WW2, when 20,000 passengers arrived in Torquay station, followed by 50 trains the next day. The Strand in the 1920's Recent times After WW2 Since the war tourist patterns have changed considerably.
Many more people have the money to travel abroad for their holidays and nearly everyone has a car .
This means that fewer visit British holiday resorts but when they do they do usually travel by car. The British holiday has become a touring holiday with visitors staying only one or two days in each place . The Beatles song 'Daytripper' is about this form of holidaymaking. In recent years Torquay has become better known abroad and we have received more foreign tourists who usually tour in cars like the British holidaymakers. In fact, many students at TIS return with their families in subsequent years to tour the area.