ACTA “Disappointed” by TICO AGM Audit Update

The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) held its virtual annual general meeting Yesterday (Sept. 24), providing an update on its progress addressing the Office of the Auditor General of Ontario’s (OAGO’s) value-for-money audit.

The report, released last December, outlined 16 recommendations – nine of which were directed at TICO, one at the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery, and six at both TICO and the Ministry.

Key among these is Recommendation 16, which calls for a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and TICO. 

TICO released a public action plan in May, outlining how the organization would address the Auditor General’s concerns. The organization is providing quarterly updates on its progress; in July, TICO announced it had returned $1.7 million in registrant deposits.

In his opening remarks at the AGM, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Todd McCarthy said that his ministry is “carefully considering … the auditor general’s recommendation to undertake a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act.” 

This was the only mention of Recommendation 16 at the AGM. 

In response, the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA) sent out a release today (Sept. 25) expressing concern that TICO has not made more progress on the Auditor General’s recommendations.

“ACTA is disappointed by the lack of progress announced at yesterday’s TICO annual general meeting regarding Recommendation 16 from the Auditor General’s report last year,” the report read. 

Industry orgs want to prioritize Recommendation 16 

ACTA’s position is that Recommendation 16 needs to be more of a priority.   

“We call on the Ontario government to engage in open dialogue and take prompt action to address this pressing issue,” said ACTA President Wendy Paradis in a statement.  “The continued growth and success of Ontario’s travel industry depend on modernizing our regulatory framework.”

The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) is also calling on the Ontario government to take “immediate action” on addressing Recommendation 16. In a release sent out on Sept. 20, the organization expressed concern that there has been “little progress” on launching a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and its associated regulations.  

“We cannot afford to delay any longer,” said Jean Hébert, executive director at CATO. “The travel industry is facing unprecedented challenges, and a modernized regulatory framework is crucial for its future success. We ask the government to act on its commitment to conduct a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 and its regulation, and take decisive action to implement the Auditor General’s recommendations.”