December was a busy month for the Travel Industry Council of Ontario. In addition to its ongoing restructuring plans, TICO carried on the day-to-day business of regulating the province’s travel sector with a series of claims, charges, closures and convicted notices.
They include:
Claims
TICO’s Board of Directors approved 10 claims against the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund totalling $51,879 to assist 12 consumers who did not receive the travel services for which they had paid. The approved Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund claims are:
- Fly Jamaica – 1 claim to assist 1 consumer, totalling $629
- Holy Destinations Travel – 8 claims to assist 10 consumers, totalling $50,000
- The Travel Broker Group – 1 claim to assist 1 consumer, totalling $1,250
In addition, the following claims were denied:
- Interjet Airlines – Four claims were denied as they were claiming for unredeemed credits issued by Interjet Airlines
- Holy Destinations Travel – One claim was denied as it was claiming for services purchased directly from an airline, as well as travel services purchased from an out-of-province retailer and did not contain sufficient documentation in order to substantiate the claim.
Charged
(TICO) charged Holy Destinations Travel Inc. with:
- 11 counts of failing to deposit consumer money in a trust account
- 11 counts of making representations that are false, misleading, or deceptive; and
- One count of failing to provide the Registrar with a letter stating the date when it ceased operations and the location of where business records are kept.
Mohamed Hachemi Bensaci has been charged with one count of being an Officer and Director of a corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence.
TICO revoked the registration of Holy Destinations Travel Inc. on July 26, 2023, after receiving consumer complaints alleging that the travel agency collected consumer payments without providing the travel services consumers had purchased. Holy Destinations Travel Inc. specialized in Islamic holy pilgrimages – including Hajj and Umrah – to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Consumers impacted by the closure of Holy Destinations Travel Inc. have until Monday, January 29, 2024, to file a claim with the Ontario Travel Industry Compensation Fund.
Mohamed Hachemi Bensaci is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 8, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. at 100 Constellation Dr. in Ottawa.
Individuals convicted in Court of offences relating to the Travel Industry Act, 2002 are subject to fines of up to $50,000 and/or prison terms of up to two years. Corporations are subject to fines of up to $250,000.
Closures
Lexus Travel Inc., a travel agency located in Greely, Ont., had its registration revoked under the Travel Industry Act, 2002 effective Dec. 22, 2023. The company operated under the names Uniglobe Voyages Lexus and Victory Travel & Events. Any consumers affected by the closure of Lexus Travel Inc. are encouraged to contact TICO. Richter has been appointed the Trustee in Bankruptcy for Lexus Travel Inc.
Convicted
After being charged by TICO, Liezl Albino pleaded guilty to one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered and one count of being an Officer and Director of a corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the corporation from committing an offence.
Liezl Albino was fined $12,000 and received a Probation Order, which includes making $33,643 in restitution payments. Liezl Albino also paid $35,000 in restitution to TICO prior to sentencing.
WEATECH Inc., operating as Eventtours, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of operating as a travel agent without being registered. WEATECH Inc. received a suspended sentence.