Starting Your Business
Whether you are a new TICO registered travel business or thinking of becoming a TICO registered business, the following resource has been designed to help you find the right information quickly. Please bookmark this page or download the Starting your Business Checklist as a resource.
Starting Your Business Checklist PDF -click here
REGISTRATION
TICO has all of the information you need at your fingertips. Click here for more information and a registration checklist. You can also download a complete registration kit - click here
EDUCATION STANDARDS
Meeting the legislated Education Standard is a requirement in order to sell travel services on behalf of an Ontario registered travel retailer. Please click here for an overview of the process.
NOTICE OF BUSINESS CHANGE FORMS
Below is a list of all of TICO’s Notice of Business Change Forms, which are required when you make certain changes:
New Branch Application
Notice of Change - Change of Business Address
Notice of Change - Change of Business Name
Notice of Change - Change of Financial Information
Notice of Change - Change of Supervisor/Manager
Notice of Change - URL (Website) Address(es)
Notice of Change - Officer, Director, Shareholder or Partner
Other useful Registration forms and resources:
Schedule "A" (for change to Supervisior/Manager)
Terms & Conditions - Operating from a Dwelling
CONSUMER AWARENESS TOOLKIT
Using the TICO logo is recommended to let your customers know that you are TICO registered. Go online and download the logo and other items:
TICO Logo Toolkit
COMPENSATION FUND
Learn about the consumer protection of Ontario's Compensation Fund and the requirements regarding paying assessments into the industry financed Travel Compensation Fund:
Overview of the Compensation Fund
Form 1 & Explanatory Notes
Payment Schedule
FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS
All registrants must adhere to the legislated financial requirements. The following will provide useful information to ensuring financial compliance:
Filing of Financial Statements
Trust Accounting Guidelines
Working Capital
Compensation Fund Remittance
INSPECTIONS
Inspections are conducted to ensure ongoing compliance of the Travel Industry Act and the Regulation. All new TICO registrants are inspected within 6 months of receiving registration.
GUIDELINES
The following Guidelines are designed to assist you with meeting the legislated requirements:
Disclosure & Invoicing
Advertising
Exemption Guidelines
Event Planners Guidelines
School Trip Guidelines
Special Interest Travel Guidelines
Outside Sales Representative Guidelines - Travel Counsellors
Outside Sales Representative Guidelines - Agency Owners
LEARNING CENTRE
TICO is dedicated to enhancing your knowledge base. TICO conducts seminars, roundtable sessions and are adding webinars in the future on various topics and timely issues. Make sure you subscribe to TICO's email list to be the first to know when an opportunity to attend becomes available.
Upcoming Webinars and Seminars
Compliance Tutorials
CHECKLISTS
The following interactive checklists have been designed to assist you with some tasks. You can complete these online or you can print these to use in your office:
Booking Checklist
Invoicing Checklist
Advertising Checklist
Website and Social Media Checklist
REGISTRANT ENGAGEMENT
TICO wants to hear from you. TICO encourages you to attend its Annual General Meeting, Roundtable Sessions and seminars. Your voice is important so make sure you participate. You can also find TICO at industry trade shows.
To stay up to date on all that is happening, click here
ENFORCEMENT, COMPLIANCE
Stay up to date with the current enforcement action being taken by TICO. TICO publishes a list of revoked agencies, suspensions, charges and convictions:
Revocation List
Closure List
Suspension List
Charges & Convictions
NEWS
What is happening at TICO?
Press Releases
Registrar Bulletins
Advisories
TICO Talk Newsletter
Upcoming Events
FAQ
Q. I just designed my invoice and I want to know if it is compliant.
A. Please review TICO’s Invoicing Checklist or you may contact our Compliance Department for a thorough review of your invoices.
Q. I’m an agency owner and I want to hire some Outside Sales Reps, what precautions should I be taking?
A. TICO has designed Outside Sales Representative Guidelines for Agency Owners. Please review the document online and contact TICO’s Compliance Department with any questions you may have.
Q. I want to publish an advertisement, what rules should I be following?
A. TICO has a very useful Advertising Checklist that you can use to help with designing your advertisement. As always, you can also contact us for assistance.
Q. What information am I supposed to be providing to my clients during the booking process?
A. As an agent you have some responsibilities at the time of making the sale. As such, TICO has made it easy to comply with the legislated requirements. Please review our Booking Checklist and use it for all your bookings.