Licensing guide · Ontario

How to Become a Travel Counsellor in Ontario

Last checked 5 sources checkedNOC 64310

Do you need a licence?

Licence required

You must be registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario to work as a travel counsellor in Ontario or to use a protected title.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Every person who works for a TICO-registered travel agency or booking website, and sells travel services or provides travel advice to the public must, by law, complete the TICO Certification Program and exam.”

From tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program.html, checked October 10, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Licence required See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Your roadmap

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • Listed one-time fees: $200
  • 2 steps without a listed fee
  • Listed time: 150.1 months (only 2 of 4 steps state a time)

  1. The applicant signs up for the TICO Certification Program, which is administered by Oliver's Publishing Inc.

    Source
    “The TICO Certification Program is administered by Oliver’s Publishing Inc., a recognized leader in adult e-learning program.”
    tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program.html

  2. The applicant studies the interactive e-learning program, applying regulatory consumer protection content with knowledge checks along the way.

    Source
    “Interactive e-learning program: Focus on applying regulatory consumer protection content to day-to-day interactions (no longer memorization based), with knowledge checks along the way.”
    tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program/about-tico-...
  3. Time: 150 months
    Time source
    “The new exam features 80 questions, to be completed within 150 minutes.”
    tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program/about-tico-...
    Source
    “Students write the certification exams online from the comfort of their own home or office and are proctored via webcam.”
    tico.ca/blog/becoming-tico-certified-travel-counsellor-ontario

  4. The applicant receives a pass or fail result by email within three business days of writing the exam.

    Time: 3 days
    Time source
    “All results are reported as either pass or fail by email within three business days of writing the exam.”
    tico.ca/blog/becoming-tico-certified-travel-counsellor-ontario
    Source
    “All results are reported as either pass or fail by email within three business days of writing the exam.”
    tico.ca/blog/becoming-tico-certified-travel-counsellor-ontario

Listed fees for this route

One-time total listed: $200

One-time fees listed for Trained in Canada, by type
Fee typeAmountShare
Exams $200 100%
One-time total $200 100%

2 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Experience

Police check

Residency

Other

  • Individuals selling travel services directly to the public on behalf of a TICO-registered business must have passed the Travel Counsellor Certification exam.

    Source
    “All individuals selling travel services directly to the public on behalf of the business must also have passed the Travel Counsellor Certification exam.”
    tico.ca/travel-professionals/registration-information/overview-requ...

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages do not state how someone already licensed in another Canadian province or territory can register in Ontario.

Source
“Individual travel counsellors do not require registration with TICO.”
tico.ca/travel-professionals/registration-information.html

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with Travel Industry Council of Ontario

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 64310, Travel counsellors. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Ontario and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Ontario $17.60 $25.00 $33.54 Moderate (3 of 5)
Canada $17.50 $24.00 $35.00 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Ontario

Wages in every province and territory

Travel counsellors in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 0 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

  • British Columbia Not confirmed yet
  • Alberta Not confirmed yet
  • Saskatchewan Not confirmed yet
  • Manitoba Not confirmed yet
  • Quebec Not confirmed yet
  • New Brunswick Not confirmed yet
  • Nova Scotia Not confirmed yet
  • Prince Edward Island Not confirmed yet
  • Newfoundland and Labrador Not confirmed yet
  • Yukon Not confirmed yet
  • Northwest Territories Not confirmed yet
  • Nunavut Not confirmed yet

Compare travel counsellor licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 10, 2026.

  1. TICO Certification Program tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program.html · fetched October 10, 2026
  2. Becoming a TICO Certified Travel Counsellor or Supervisor/Manager in Ontario tico.ca/blog/becoming-tico-certified-travel-counsellor-ontario · fetched October 10, 2026
  3. About the TICO Certification Program tico.ca/travel-professionals/tico-certification-program/about-tico-... · fetched October 10, 2026
  4. Overview / Requirements tico.ca/travel-professionals/registration-information/overview-requ... · fetched October 10, 2026
  5. Registration Information tico.ca/travel-professionals/registration-information.html · fetched October 10, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a travel counsellor in Ontario?

Yes. Registration with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario is required to practise in Ontario.

Which exams are required?

TICO Certification Program exam.

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