TICO Launches Consultation on Proposed Changes to Certification Exam Fees
May 28, 2025
Registrants and stakeholders are invited to provide their feedback during the consultation period from May 28, 2025 until June 30, 2025.
Mississauga, ONT. – The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has launched a targeted consultation on proposed changes to the fees associated with the TICO Certification program and exam.
As the travel industry continues to evolve, TICO is enhancing the Certification program and exam for individuals aspiring to become Travel Counsellors and agency Supervisors/Managers.
Later in 2025, TICO will launch a new, fully interactive online education program, delivered in collaboration with a leading-edge adult education provider. The new program focuses on having learners apply the program’s regulatory and consumer protection content, enhancing regulatory knowledge and professionalism.
“Enhancing the Certification program will strengthen travel professionals’ consumer protection knowledge as they enter the industry, which in turn will benefit the consumers they guide in their travel purchases,” said TICO CEO Richard Smart. “As part of this enhancement, we’re reviewing the related fees to ensure they remain fair, transparent and aligned with cost recovery.”
Once the new e-learning program has launched, the Certification exam fee will need to be adjusted to reflect the cost associated with developing, operating and enhancing the new program.
Key facts:
- In 2009, the Ontario government legislated Certification for individuals selling travel on behalf of a TICO-registered retailer. The exam fee has not changed since it launched in 2009.
- TICO is modernizing its Certification program and exam, moving from a static online manual that relies on memorization to an interactive e-learning adult program.
- The new program will feature a single exam, covering both the Travel Counsellor and Supervisor/Manager curriculum, ensuring that all new entrants to the industry have a comprehensive view of their obligations.
- The new fee only applies to individuals who are entering the industry and are taking their TICO Certification exam.
- For individuals who are already Certified as a Travel Counsellor but are looking to complete the Supervisor/Manager designation, there will be a transition period with a minimum of 60 days’ notice during which the existing program can be completed.
- Nearly 112,000 individuals have successfully completed TICO’s Certification exams since inception in 2009.
For more information:
Registrants and stakeholders are invited to review a presentation outlining the new program and proposed fee adjustment. Any feedback can be submitted to TICO via an online survey.
- Consultation presentation: click here
- Online survey: click here
- Deadline for feedback: Monday, June 30, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Questions?
Please email
About TICO
Formed in 1997, the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) regulates Ontario’s approximately 1,900 travel agencies, booking websites and tour operators. TICO administers the Travel Industry Act, 2002. As a consumer protection organization, TICO facilitates a consumer complaints process and administers the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund. By booking travel with a TICO-registered business, consumers have access to added protection. To verify if a company is registered with TICO, and for helpful information and resources, visit www.tico.ca.
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Media contact:
Kristina Wilson
Stakeholder Relations Manager