TICO TICO's Role and Mandate 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What happens to a travel agent's Ontario registration if they fail to renew it annually?
- They may continue operating for up to 6 months under a grace period
- Their registration lapses and they are no longer legally permitted to sell travel services (Correct answer)
- They are automatically transferred to a provisional licence
- They must reapply to the federal government for a travel permit
Correct answer: Their registration lapses and they are no longer legally permitted to sell travel services
TICO registrations must be renewed annually; failure to renew means the registration lapses and the registrant can no longer legally sell travel services in Ontario.
Question 2: Which of the following actions can TICO take against a registrant who repeatedly violates the Travel Industry Act, 2002?
- Impose criminal charges through the provincial court
- Revoke the registrant's registration (Correct answer)
- Seize the registrant's personal assets
- Transfer the registrant's clients to a competitor
Correct answer: Revoke the registrant's registration
Among TICO's most serious disciplinary powers is the ability to revoke a registrant's registration, preventing them from operating in Ontario's travel industry.
Question 3: TICO's Board of Directors includes representatives from which groups?
- Only travel industry professionals
- Only government-appointed consumer advocates
- A mix of industry representatives and consumer/public interest representatives (Correct answer)
- Only elected members of the Ontario legislature
Correct answer: A mix of industry representatives and consumer/public interest representatives
TICO's Board balances industry knowledge with consumer protection interests by including both industry representatives and consumer/public-interest members.
Question 4: Under TICO regulations, who is responsible for ensuring that travel brochures and advertisements comply with disclosure requirements?
- The Ministry of Consumer Services
- The registered travel agent or wholesaler producing the material (Correct answer)
- The Advertising Standards Canada board
- Transport Canada's consumer affairs division
Correct answer: The registered travel agent or wholesaler producing the material
Registered travel agents and wholesalers are responsible for ensuring their marketing materials meet TICO's disclosure and accuracy requirements.
Question 5: What distinguishes a TICO-registered travel agent from an unregistered online travel booking site operating outside Ontario?
- Only TICO-registered agents can issue airline boarding passes
- Ontario consumers booking with a TICO registrant have access to complaint resolution and the Compensation Fund (Correct answer)
- TICO-registered agents are exempt from charging HST on travel packages
- Unregistered sites must charge higher prices by law
Correct answer: Ontario consumers booking with a TICO registrant have access to complaint resolution and the Compensation Fund
When consumers book with a TICO-registered agent, they gain access to TICO's complaint process and the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund, protections unavailable with unregistered sellers.
Question 6: Which of the following scenarios would most likely trigger a TICO investigation?
- A travel agent charges a service fee for booking airline tickets
- Multiple consumers report that an agency collected payments but never issued travel documents (Correct answer)
- A travel agent recommends a hotel that later receives poor reviews
- A wholesaler increases package prices during peak season
Correct answer: Multiple consumers report that an agency collected payments but never issued travel documents
Multiple complaints alleging that an agency took consumer payments without delivering travel services is a serious indication of potential fraud, which falls squarely within TICO's investigative mandate.
Question 7: How does TICO's role differ from that of the Competition Bureau of Canada in the travel sector?
- TICO focuses on anti-trust issues; the Competition Bureau handles registrations
- TICO regulates Ontario travel registrants and consumer protection; the Competition Bureau addresses anti-competitive business practices nationally (Correct answer)
- There is no difference — both agencies share all regulatory functions
- The Competition Bureau handles air travel only; TICO covers all other travel modes
Correct answer: TICO regulates Ontario travel registrants and consumer protection; the Competition Bureau addresses anti-competitive business practices nationally
TICO's jurisdiction is provincial, focused on registration, conduct standards, and consumer protection for Ontario travel sellers, while the federal Competition Bureau tackles anti-competitive conduct across all industries Canada-wide.
TICO TICO's Role and Mandate 5
What happens to a travel agent's Ontario registration if they fail to renew it annually?