Message from the CEO
Richard Smart, TICO CEO
The past few months have continued to be a period of adjustment for Ontario's travel industry. While many travellers remain eager to explore, our May consumer survey revealed that overall travel confidence remains low.
This highlights an important opportunity for the industry to help restore peace of mind and reinforce the value of booking with a TICO-registered business.
Monitoring consumer sentiment
TICO continues to closely monitor Ontarians' travel sentiments and confidence to understand how attitudes and behaviours are evolving. These insights help shape our education and awareness initiatives, ensuring consumers know about the travel consumer protection available to them.
At the same time, we encourage industry to share the consumer protection message with their clients. To make it easy, TICO has a library of ready-to-share resources available for you.
Certification Program consultation
Our Certification Program fee consultation took place earlier this year, and we are pleased to share a summary of the results on page 4. This marked an important step towards modernizing the TICO Certification Program, for individuals who are looking to enter the industry. You can see a sneak peek of the new program on the next page.
Auditor General progress Since the release of the Auditor General's report in December 2023, TICO has made significant progress on the recommended enhancements. To date, 74% of the action items directed at TICO have been completed (click here for more info). This work is creating meaningful improvements in efficiency, transparency and service delivery.
A follow-up report from the Auditor General is expected later this fall, and we remain committed to fully completing the action items under our control.
Annual Meeting update
In late September, TICO held it's Annual Meeting to provide an update on the prior year's milestones and accomplishments. It was also an opportunity to elect new Directors to TICO's Board, while recognizing the contributions of past Directors. We've posted a recording of the Annual Meeting, as well as a summary for anyone who missed the event.
Looking ahead
Our focus remains on supporting registrants, while helping travellers feel informed, protected and confident when they book their next trip.
By continuing to share insights and work together with industry, we can continue strengthening trust in Ontario's travel marketplace.
Regards,
Richard Smart, CEO