Travel agency advertising in Ontario: the registration number, the all in price and no "was" prices
The direct answer
Under Ontario Regulation 26/05 made under the Travel Industry Act, 2002, every representation about travel services, unless made orally, must include the name under which the registrant carries on business, the registrant's address and its registration number, and must contain no residential telephone number; billboards and similar space limited media are exempt from the name and number rule. Representations must contain nothing false, misleading or deceptive. Where a price appears it must be shown in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner, and it must set out the total amount the customer will be required to pay, including all fees, levies, service charges, surcharges, taxes and other charges. A representation may refer to no previous price, and prices are in Canadian dollars unless clearly indicated otherwise. The registrar may order misleading material withdrawn and a correction published with equal prominence.
Five conclusions
The argument, compressed.
- Every written or visual ad carries the business name, address and registration number.
- No residential phone numbers in ads.
- The advertised price is the total the customer pays, taxes and all charges included.
- No previous price may appear beside the current one.
- The registrar can order corrections published with equal prominence.
Working framework · 4 decisions
The travel ad check
Four checks for a website, social post, flyer or email offer. Confirm with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario's current guidance.
Decision 01 / 04
Identity
Show the registered business name, address and registration number on every piece that is more than a spoken message.
What the Act and regulation require
Section 28 of the Travel Industry Act, 2002 prohibits false, misleading or deceptive statements in any advertisement or material relating to travel services, and section 29 lets the registrar order such material withdrawn and a retraction or correction published with equal prominence to the original.
Ontario Regulation 26/05 sets the detail in sections 30 to 33. Unless a representation is made orally, it must include the name under which the registrant carries on business, the registrant's address and registration number, and it must contain no residential telephone number. Billboards, bus boards and other media with similar space or time limits are exempt from the name and number requirement.
The price rules
Section 33 requires any price to be shown in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner, and requires the representation to set out the total amount the customer will be required to pay for the travel services, including all fees, levies, service charges, surcharges, taxes and other charges. The headline price is the final price.
The same section bars any reference to a previous price, so the crossed out was price common in other retail categories is unavailable to Ontario travel agencies. Prices are in Canadian currency unless the representation clearly indicates otherwise.
One price
The number in the ad is the number on the invoice. There is no second price to compare it with.
What an agency brand competes on
With the discount story unavailable and prices fully loaded, Ontario travel agencies compete on what the price buys: the itinerary, the expertise, the support when a flight is cancelled. A brand that leads with a specialism, such as multigenerational trips, dive holidays or accessible travel, gives a client a reason beyond price.
The registration number belongs in the brand system as a fixed element, the way a licence number does for a contractor. A clear lockup of name, address and number on the website footer, email signature and every ad template satisfies the regulation without a designer having to remember it each time.
Before you use it
Questions that can change the recommendation.
Does an Ontario travel agency have to show its registration number in ads?
Yes. Section 31 of Ontario Regulation 26/05 requires every representation that is more than oral to include the registered business name, the registrant's address and its registration number, with an exemption for billboards and similarly limited media.
Can an Ontario travel agency advertise a price before taxes?
Section 33 requires the representation to set out the total amount the customer will be required to pay, including all fees, levies, service charges, surcharges, taxes and other charges.
Can a travel agency in Ontario show a was price or a discount from a previous price?
Section 33 says a representation shall refer to no previous price for travel services.
Research record
What this guide draws from.
Each source note describes what the reference supports. Platform guidance, research findings and Branding Tatva's practical suggestions have different scopes.
