Message from the CEO
It has been a busy year so far for TICO and for the travel industry, and I expect this fall will be no different.
We continuously track the industry’s post-pandemic recovery, and from the filings TICO has received to-date, many registrants are seeing sales that are at or above pre-pandemic levels. While that recovery isn’t even across all segments of the industry, consumer demand has been strong. While it remains to be seen if, and by how much, demand softens as ‘revenge travel’ fades, TICO will continue to share with consumers the benefits of booking with a TICO-registered business. Auditor General Report In early December 2023, TICO received recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario (OAGO) on ways we can enhance our operations. This spring, TICO published its Public Action Plan, detailing how we will address and implement the recommendations. We have now published two progress updates, with future updates to be released on a quarterly basis.
To view the Public Action Plan and updates, please click here.
Unclaimed Security Deposits
As part of the OAGO’s recommendations, TICO has been reviewing all registrant security deposits that have been held for more than two years. There are former registrants who TICO has been unable to locate or make contact with to initiate the security return process. We are asking industry members to review the list in case they know one of the companies or individuals who is eligible to have their security deposit returned to them. For more information, please click here.
New advisory councils
Earlier this year, TICO established two new councils aimed at fostering open dialogue and obtaining valuable feedback from stakeholders, industry and consumers. The Industry Advisory Council (IAC) and Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) have both held meetings and began to provide valuable input. To view the members of each council, please click here.
Travel Industry Engagement
While many of our day-to-day interactions with industry members and stakeholders happen over email and phone, there is no replacement for face-to-face engagement. Meeting in person and having conversations with all of you is something I personally look forward to.
In June, TICO participated in the Travel Marketplace conference, where I had the chance to deliver an update to more than 550 travel advisor attendees.
TICO’s Registrar Dorian Werda delivered two breakout sessions about fraud – I encourage you to read a summary of that presentation on page 5.
TICO recently hosted a booth at ACTA’s Toronto summit, and later in the fall, we’ll be presenting at the OMCA tour operator session. I hope to see many of you at future events.
Annual General Meeting Our annual meeting is another opportunity to engage with the industry and also share updates about TICO's accomplishments over the prior year.
This year, members voted in two new Directors: Gregory Luciani, CEO of TravelOnly and Jeffrey Steiner, Chair, Canada-Saudi Business Council.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to attend the meeting virtually on September 24, 2024. A summary of the meeting can be found here.
I look forward to continuing to meet and engage with all of you in the months ahead.
Richard Smart, CEO