The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) is mandated by the Ontario government to administer the Travel Industry Act, 2002. All travel retailers and travel wholesalers selling travel services from a location in the Province of Ontario are required to be registered under the Travel Industry Act, 2002 with TICO.

Selling travel services in and from the Province of Ontario without TICO registration is a contravention of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and may result in charges being laid under the Act. This also applies to anyone who has submitted a TICO Application for Registration which is pending approval from TICO.

Useful Definitions from the Travel Industry Act, 2002

Travel Retailer: A travel retailer, also known as a travel agency or online travel agency, sells travel services directly to individual consumers. The Act refers to a travel retailer as a travel agent and defines “travel agent as a person who sells travel services provided by another person.”

Travel Wholesaler: A travel wholesaler, also known as a tour operator, acquires rights to travel services with the intention of reselling them to travel retailers. The Act defines a “travel wholesaler as a person who acquires rights to travel services for the purpose of resale to a travel agent or who carries on the business of dealing with travel agents or travel wholesalers for the sale of travel services provided by another person.”

Travel Services:  The Act defines “travel services as transportation or sleeping accommodation for the use of a traveller, tourist or sightseer or other services combined with that transportation or sleeping accommodation”.

Preparing To Apply for TICO Registration

ADVISORY: Due to an unusually high volume of applications, we regret to inform you that we may not be able to process your application within the standard 30-day timeframe mentioned in our registration application checklist. Please be assured that the Registration Team is diligently working to review all applications and will keep you informed of any updates.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Before diving into the application, let’s review the requirements for applying for TICO registration. A detailed version of this checklist is included in the TICO Registration Application Kit.

Requirements of TICO Registration

Application Fundamentals

• $3,000 non-refundable application processing fee for a head office. Click here to view the registration application kit for a branch office.
• 10,000 security deposit.
• Completed registration application form.
• Terms & Conditions of Registration.

Business Structure

• Proof of incorporation and/or business name registration.
• Corporate organizational chart if the structure or shareholder distribution includes multiple corporations and/or holding companies, and/or international companies.
• Overview of business presented by a simple business summary or a detailed business plan.

Business Address

• Permanent place of business in Ontario
• In a dedicated office that is a commercial location or a residential location.
• If the location is a residential location:
  • Municipal Zoning: The travel seller must provide a letter of confirmation from the municipality to verify that carrying on business from the residential location is permitted by the municipality responsible for enforcing local zoning requirements.
  • Business Phone Number: The travel seller must have a separate business telephone number (landline or mobile phone) that is listed under the name under which the travel seller carries on business and is different from any residential and/or personal telephone number.
  • Business Records: The travel seller must maintain all books and records at the business premises and ensure that these records are accessible to any Inspector designated by the Registrar.
  • Business Address: the travel seller must include its business address (as well as the business name and registration number) in every written representation. Therefore, if a travel seller is operating from a residential location, the travel seller must include this residential address in its representations.

Key Stakeholders

Shareholders, Officers, Directors, Partners, Sole Proprietor, and Supervisor/Manager

• 18 years of age and be a resident of Canada. This residency requirement does not apply to corporate or partnership applicants.
• Key Stakeholder Declaration Form completed and signed by the sole proprietor, every partner in a partnership, and by every officer and director for corporate entities.
• If a shareholder is a corporation and/or holding company, a Corporate Shareholder Information Form is required.
• Valid government photo identification for each person.

• All applicants including the designated supervisor or manager must disclose all particulars regarding any bankruptcies, judgements, and/or discharges that they may have had at any time.
• Canadian Criminal Record Check (CRC) for each person.

This can be obtained from some OPP detachments or most Municipal Police Services. A CRC can also be obtained from an online background check service provider. TICO has partnered with Sterling Backcheck / MyBackCheck.com to assist applicants with obtaining this report.

Additional Requirements for the Designated Manager

• Designated Manager Declaration Form
• Legally entitled to work in Canada.
• Proof of Travel Counsellor and Supervisor/Manager TICO Certification
• Must have a minimum of 3 years of travel industry experience.
• Must manage and supervise the business during the hours of operation.

Financial Information

• Two bank accounts are required, and they must be designated as a “General Account” and a “Travel Industry Act Trust Account”.
• The bank accounts must be held in a Bank of Canada recognized bank, trust company, or credit union.
• The bank accounts must be under the travel seller’s legal business name registered with TICO.
• If CAD and USD accounts are maintained, the bank letter should clearly show the currency for each account.
• A letter from the bank with confirmation of the bank accounts held showing the proper designation of the accounts.

Note: The bank letter must be on letterhead and signed by a bank official.  A sample bank letter is available for reference.

• Trust Declaration Form signed by a person authorized to bind the company.
• If you will be a Credit Card Merchant, you must include supporting documentation showing the merchant account is linked to the Travel Industry Act Trust Account.

Financial Statements and Other Third-party Documentation

• Opening balance sheet or financial statements* indicating a positive working capital and/or a Verification Statement, Review Engagement Report or Audit Report.

Note: Review Engagement Report or Audit Report may be prepared by a licensed CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant). A Verification Statement may be prepared by an individual with knowledge of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).

* Financial Statements: include at a minimum a Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) and a Statement of Operations (Income Statement).

• Must clearly indicate the current assets, and current liabilities, including shareholder/related party advances, if any.
• For new businesses, an internally prepared balance sheet including opening amounts is required; a pro forma forecast is optional.
• Must be dated and current within 30 days of the application submission.
• Current bank account statements for the Trust Account and the General Account dated within the last 30 days of the application.
• Other third-party disclosures prepared by a licensed CPA, (e.g., Personal net worth statement for those operating as a sole proprietor, Special Purpose financial reports).

Note: Credit checks are required for each person but will be obtained by TICO during its application process.

Additional Notes

• Any document submitted in a foreign language, other than French must be accompanied by a certified translation.
• TICO reserves the right to request any additional information and/or supporting documentation and to verify any information contained in the application. This can include conducting inquiries as necessary to determine your eligibility for registration.
• You should not be operating or advertising travel services without first being approved for registration with TICO. Please ensure you are compliant with legislated requirements.
• A detailed version of this checklist is included in the TICO Registration Application Kit.

Registering a Branch Office

Click here to view the registration application kit for a branch office.

Registration Application Processing

To avoid any delay in the processing of the application, applicants are advised to review all the mandatory requirements and ensure that all the supporting documentation and information is obtained before applying for registration.  TICO's target processing time for complete applications received is 30 days or sooner. 

Refusal of Registration

In some cases, an application for registration can be refused.  Further information is available in the Registration Application Form

Ready to Apply?

Download a TICO Registration Application Kit to get started on your application for registration!

Need Further Guidance?

If you have any questions, please contact TICO’s registration department at 905-624-6241 ext. 291 or 1-888-451-8426 ext. 291 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..