TICO Advises Travellers To Book Smart

For a number of years TICO’s Consumer Awareness Campaign has been informing Ontario’s travelling public about TICO and the benefits of purchasing travel services from TICO registered travel agencies and websites.

TICO has launched a new two-pronged awareness campaign to reinforce the consumer protection available in Ontario, which includes the Travel Compensation Fund and the importance of booking travel services with a TICO-registered travel agency or website.

“Consumers making holiday arrangements have a choice: they can book through a TICO-registered travel agency or website and have their travel services protected, or they can put their hard-earned vacation dollars at risk and book with someone else,” warns TICO president Richard Smart. “This is a very timely message, considering the increasing number of booking options available to consumers, and also given that this is the time of year consumers start planning their winter and spring break vacations. TICO’s campaign will stress that when booking a holiday with a registered Ontario travel agency or website, travellers are protected by the province’s strict consumer protection laws, and the regulations governing the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund.”

TICO’s consumer awareness campaign will run on television and online platforms using two distinct 15 second commercials. One to highlight the Travel Compensation Fund and the other an upbeat message of consumer protection for all the information the consumer doesn’t know. The duration is Dec. 19 until Jan. 22 across all of Ontario.

A Consumer Awareness Tool Kit can be found on TICO’s website – http://www.tico.ca/industry-info/tico-logo.html. Here, agents will find the TICO logo and other collateral items, which can be downloaded and used to send electronically or by hard copy to customers.