CATO repeats call for Ontario gov't to review Travel Industry Act

The Canadian Association of Tour Operators (CATO) has once again called on the Government of Ontario to initiate a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act and its regulations, as recommended by the Auditor General nearly two years ago.

On Aug. 29, representatives from CATO, OMCA, and ACTA met with staff from the Office of the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement to again express the industry’s growing concerns about the outdated legislative framework governing Ontario’s travel sector.

“Unfortunately, the meeting did not provide any meaningful clarity regarding the government’s plan or timeline for the review process,” CATO wrote in a press release issued Friday (Oct. 31).

Additionally, at TICO’s Annual General Meeting on Sept. 25, the Minister’s recorded remarks “offered little additional insight.”

While the reference to “burden reduction” was noted as a positive concept, it lacked any concrete context or commitment to action, the association said.

Meanwhile, the TICO Annual Report confirmed that the industry will continue to bear the costs of TICO’s operational expansion—further increasing the financial and administrative burden on businesses—without any measurable improvement to consumer protection.

“The current system is unsustainable and increasingly disconnected from the realities of today’s travel marketplace,” stated Jean Hébert, CATO’s executive director. “Ontario’s travel businesses are committed to strong consumer protection, but the framework must be modernized to ensure it is fair, efficient, and aligned with the government’s stated objective of burden reduction.”

CATO, OMCA, and ACTA are calling on the Government of Ontario to launch a comprehensive review of the Travel Industry Act and its regulations, establish a formal consultation process that includes meaningful engagement with industry representatives, define a clear scope, timeline, and milestones for the review and reform process; and develop a balanced, transparent framework that strengthens consumer protection while reducing unnecessary regulatory and financial burdens on businesses.

“We continue to seek clarity and leadership from the Government of Ontario," said Brett Walker, CATO's Chair of the Board, in a statement. “At this stage, we ask Premier Ford and his Cabinet to demonstrate what ‘Ontario: Open for Business’ truly means for our sector—and how the promise of burden reduction will translate into real, measurable change for travel businesses across the province.”

A lesson from Quebec

While the Quebec model is not without its own complexities, it demonstrates “a more efficient and integrated approach to consumer protection,” CATO went on to say.  

The Office de la protection du consommateur (OPC) oversees multiple sectors—including travel, funeral services, and automobile dealerships—under a single regulatory structure with one administrative body and one Chief Executive Officer.

“This streamlined model contrasts sharply with Ontario’s costly and fragmented system, where nearly a dozen separate regulators operate independently, each with its own administrative structures and leadership, yet all pursuing the same overarching goal of consumer protection,” stated Hébert. “Ontario has an opportunity to learn from such examples to modernize its system, reduce duplication, and direct more resources toward effective consumer outcomes rather than administrative overhead.

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