Booking a trip soon? Here are some helpful travel tips from Ontario’s travel regulator, TICO that can help you plan a memorable holiday:
Bring the right documentation. By law, Ontario travel agents must disclose all the travel documentation required for each person travelling. This may include visas for certain countries. Before you book the dates of your trip, make sure your passports and other documents are not expired. If renewals are necessary, factor in the time it will take to get them ready in time.
Make copies. Before you leave, make photocopies of your documents and leave a copy behind with a family or friend in case of emergency. Some documents you may need include tickets, itineraries, passports, insurance policy, identification, credit cards and in some cases, international health certificates and list of vaccines
Keep your receipts. Your Ontario-registered travel agency must provide you with receipts/invoices that include all the details of the travel services you purchased. Make sure you keep copies of these receipts. If you purchased travel services online, keep copies of all transactions, correspondence, confirmations and anything else related to your online booking. It’s also a good idea to keep details about the description of your hotel and the services and amenities. Keep all original documents including returned cheques, credit card slips and credit card statements in case you need to refer back to them.
Know the terms and conditions. Before confirming your travel services online or with your travel agent, make sure you read and understand the terms and conditions of the services that you are buying. Your travel agent is required to disclose the terms and conditions with you, but it’s up to you to review them, particularly those that relate to cancellation, changes to bookings, and refunds.
