Tour Operators
TICO Board Approves Fund Claims
The Travel Industry Council of Ontario’s (TICO’s) Board of Directors approved three claims against the Ontario Travel Compensation Fund on June 28, 2022 totalling $6,310 to assist 8 consumers who did not receive the travel services for which they had paid. Claims approved by the Board include: Fly Jamaica Airways -- 1 claim to assist 2 consumers, totalling $2,588 Jet Airways -- 1 claim to assist 4 consumers, totalling $2,322 Sunmed Holidays Inc. -- 1 claim to assist 2 consumers, totalling $1,400 In addition, the following claim was denied: Fly Jamaica Airways...
TICO Marks 25th As It Celebrates Its Achievements
Hard to believe, but the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) celebrated its 25th anniversary of providing consumer protection to Ontario travellers during its virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) this week (June 28). During the AGM, officials shared the organization’s key achievements from the previous fiscal year, with a key theme of the event focussing on the resiliency of the travel industry. Richard Smart, TICO’s President and CEO, observed that: “While the entire travel ecosystem is shifting and re-inventing itself, an expectation for a fair and balanced consumer...
Sunspots Holidays Takes Off To Bonaire
Sunspots Holidays has a new campaign with the Bonaire Tourism Board and American Airlines. The company can offer various dive packages as well air fares from various points in Canada and the USA to Bonaire. The campaign is designed to educate travel advisors about American Airlines’ Bonaire routes and motivate bookings on the carrier's Miami-Bonaire route during the campaign window, and runs through Sept. 15. Booking dates run through Sept. 15 and travel dates are from July 1 to Sept. 30. There is a $30 bonus commission for each booked ticket. The bonus commission...
TravelBrands Earns Two At Agents’ Choice Awards Gala
TravelBrands was honoured to be voted for by Canadian travel agents as the winners of two outstanding awards at the annual Agents' Choice Awards Gala on June 23, 2022, hosted by Baxter Media. In an evening celebrating the best of Canada's travel industry, TravelBrands was named Favourite Air Consolidator (Intair) and Favourite Tour Operator (FIT - TravelBrands). After two years of virtual-only gatherings, the energy and excitement of a sold-out event were exhilarating. TravelBrands exists to give agents access to the world in a way that drives meaningful industry advancement, and...
Changing Rules In Nicaragua
Nicaragua's Carli Tours reports that of June 16, Health Authorities announced that fully vaccinated visitors will no longer need to take a PCR test to enter Nicaragua. Visitors will be requested to present vaccination card with a complete schedule of immunization (2 doses) of any Covid-19 vaccine. Non-vaccinated or partially vaccinated visitors will still be required to present a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours. "We will keep you posted on airline updates in the upcoming days," Careli Tours...
Canada Jetlines Vacations Gets TICO Approval
Canada Jetlines Operations Ltd. advises that the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has provided approval to the carrier’s subsidiary Canada Jetlines Vacations Ltd. as a travel retailer and travel wholesaler under the Travel Industry Act, 2022. TICO is mandated by the Ontario government to administer the Ontario Travel Industry Act, 2002 and Ontario Regulation 26/05 which governs approximately 2,100 travel retailers and travel wholesalers registered in Ontario – providing Canadian travelers with confidence from their stamp of approval. A recent survey of Ontario...
Celebrate Pride Month with African Travel
African Travel, Inc. (ATI) has launched personalized journeys for the LGBTQ+ community and it’s featuring LGBTQ+ safari experiences and travel tips in a new Pride Guide and on-demand LGBTQ+ Pride Webinar. President of African Travel, Inc., Sherwin Banda, who was recently featured as one of Robb Report’s 16 LGBTQ+ Visionaries in Luxury in 2021, is excited about African Travel’s focus on inclusivity and educating Travel Advisors and travellers on safaris that meet the needs of various LGBTQ+ guests. Said Banda: “LGBTQ+ travel is personal for me and knowing more than one...
Sunwing Loves Cuba
Sunwing held a Toronto tribute to Cuba Wednesday, an event that coincided with what Sunwing says is an unprecedented development in the Caribbean country's tourist trade that the travel company is playing a key role in. The event -- labelled Sunwing Loves Cuba and which drew a large number of travel agents, hoteliers and others with a stake in Cuban tourism -- came as Sunwing details the agreement it has with Cuban authorities that will see Sunwing Travel Group division Blue Diamond Resorts managing all 11 hotels on Cayo Largo, found off Cuba's southern coast. The hotels...