TICO Increases Renewal Fees for Registrants with Gross Sales Exceeding $10M

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has announced they are increasing renewal fees for registrants whose gross sales exceed $10 million, effective for payments due on or after April 1, 2026.

TICO calls the increase a “targeted, inflationary adjustment” and will increase the renewal fees by 2.4%, affecting approximately 10% of TICO’s registrant base. It says the adjustment is being introduced to support the continued sustainability, quality and reliability of services provided to Ontario’s travel consumers and registrants, in the context of rising operational costs driven by inflation.

There is no fee change for registrants with Ontario gross sales of $10 million or less.

“We recognize that businesses continue to face challenging economic conditions, and we have kept this adjustment as modest as practicable,” said TICO CEO Richard Smart. “TICO remains focused on protecting travel consumers, while being mindful of the financial realities faced by Ontario’s travel businesses.”

TICO noted that its funding levels remained unchanged for more than a decade, from 2011 to 2024. While this approach limited short-term increases, funding did not keep pace with inflation or the evolving demands of consumer protection and regulatory oversight, leading to a broader funding review and realignment in 2024.

Following that process, TICO committed to a more proactive funding model that includes regular reviews and modest, inflation-based adjustments, applied only when necessary.

No other fee changes are being introduced. Compensation Fund fees remain unchanged, and renewal fee rates for the remaining 90 per cent of registrants will continue at the levels established in April 2024.