Press Release
Ontario is reminding consumers of their rights to make sure their hard-earned travel investment is well spent.
Under Ontario law, all travel agencies registered in this province are required to disclose certain information to consumers before and after selling travel services.
For instance, agencies are required to give an invoice at the time of the purchase that includes the services offered, the price, terms and conditions of reservation, refund policies, and penalties.
Consumers are encouraged to book their vacation with a travel agency registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO).
That way, if their travel agency, wholesaler, airline, or cruise line goes bankrupt, they are protected by Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund.
“This is a peak time of year when Ontarians plan their vacations,” noted Consumer Services minister Sophia Aggelonitis.
“We want consumers to be aware of their rights when booking travel so their travel investment is well-protected,” she stressed.
Nearly 70 percent of Canadians plan to take an out-of-town trip of one or more nights sometime this year.
Ontarians spent $25.2 billion on tourism in 2007 (excluding business travel).
In 2007, 44.5 percent of Canadian adults made travel arrangements online.
