Create or retrieve your password by clicking here

Regulations Under The 2002 Travel Industry Act Filed

February 21, 2005

Regulations Under The 2002 Travel Industry Act Filed
February 21, 2005 – The Travel Industry Council of Ontario reports that regulations under the Travel Industry Act of 2002 have been filed. Ontario Regulation 26/05 will come into force on July 1, 2005, giving registrants approximately five months to review the changes and bring their businesses into compliance with the new regulations.

Some of the changes include:

  • expanding exemptions to include religious groups and amateur sports teams;
  • new exemptions for accommodation providers and local tourism operators who package local services with their own and market them to consumers;
  • new rules around disclosure of travel prices in advertising;
  • clarifications to improve the consumer claims process;
  • changes to the Compensation Fund provisions to allow consumers to be reimbursed for taxes on travel services they did not receive;
  • increased trust accounting and working capital requirements;
  • allowing registrants to operate from a dwelling subject to specific conditions, for example, appropriate local zoning; and
  • providing for minimum educational requirements.

"This is good news for the travel industry," said Michael Pepper, President and C.E.O. of the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO). "A lot of hard work has gone into the development of the new regulations; the new standards recognize the realities of the current marketplace and the industry as a whole will be stronger as a result of the changes".

« »