Torbay Visiting International Students

Each year Torbay welcomes between fifteen and twenty thousand Visiting International Students over the summer period.

To ensure they remember Torbay for the right reasons Torbay’s Language Schools will be working closely with the Police, Safer Communities Torbay and partners in what is called ‘Operation TVIS’.  

This Police-led operation which stands for ‘Operation Torbay Visiting International Students’, started in April 2006 in order to provide a safe and secure environment for all visiting students.  A partnership team which includes Language Schools, Local Schools, Street Wardens, Torbay Youth Offending Team, the Tourist Information Board, Street Pastors, Safer Communities Torbay and the Police are keen to work together to ensure that students from all cultures come together, enjoying all that Torbay has to offer.  

Many of the problems encountered by visiting international students are due to a lack of understanding and hence Operation TVIS provides education to both visiting students and local students.  

PC Nicola Waites and members of staff from Safer Communities Torbay are currently running a series of talks to visiting international students welcoming them to Torbay and outlining local laws and expectations. Students at local schools will also be integrating with the foreign students during the Torbay World Cup, a football event aimed at developing relationships between both local students and visiting young internationals.

Visiting students are important to the local economy; their arrival brings a boost to businesses, including retail, entertainment, transport and not to mention the local host families. Visiting international guests are a valuable asset to Torbay

PC Nicola Waites will be running Operation TVIS with the support of a dedicated team of officers and PCSOs to ensure that any incidents are dealt with promptly and efficiently.

Much of the TVIS work is around prevention; any person committing an offence against a visiting student will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law.  Torbay is a safe place but all students need to be aware of personal safety tips to make sure they have a safe and happy visit here in Torbay.

• TVIS Presentation
  Presentation offered to international students as part of Operation TVIS
  Last updated: 13/05/2010 (1.5 MB)