TICO News: Former Ontario Travel Agent Sentenced to 18 Months in Jail

The director of a former travel agency – ironically named Holy Destinations Travel — has been sentenced to 18 months in jail after leaving 41 consumers with over $400,000 in losses.

Mohamed Hachemi Bensaci, the former Director of the agency has also been ordered to pay $436,500 in restitution, while Holy Destinations Travel Inc. was fined $35,000, after pleading guilty to a combined total of 59 offenses under the Travel Industry Act, 2002. 

The agency, which specialized in Islamic pilgrimages such as Hajj, was accused of collecting consumer payments without delivering the travel services consumers purchased.

In 2022, the Saudi Arabian government mandated that Hajj travel packages for North Americans be sold exclusively through a government portal, preventing travel agencies from offering them.

Despite this, Holy Destinations continued selling Hajj packages in 2023 to unsuspecting consumers. 

In total:

• 41 consumers were affected
• $436,500 in consumer losses were reported
• $142,000 was reimbursed through the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund

Ontario travel regulator the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) said the case highlights the importance of TICO registration in maintaining trust and integrity within Ontario’s travel industry. 

“When businesses operate outside the law, it undermines consumer trust and creates an unfair environment for travel professionals and businesses that follow the law and uphold consumer protection,” TICO said in a statement.

“TICO works to support a fair and ethical marketplace by helping bring businesses into compliance and, when necessary, taking swift action to uphold consumer protection standards.”