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ARTA Canada Responds to ACTA Posturing on TICO Board;
ACTA-Appointed Board Seat Vacant when TICO Cancels Election
ARTA Canada Asks Ministry for Fully-Elected Industry Reps at TICO
Toronto, 03 September 2009: The Association of Retail Travel Agents - Canada (ARTA Canada) responded to justifications espoused by ACTA that ACTA had a right to its board seats on TICO and that the Ministry of Consumer Services had a right to appoint a new consumer member to the TICO board.
ACTA claims that its three appointed board seats at TICO have been "earned" and that ACTA does not take its appointments to the TICO board "for granted". ACTA implies that it supports TICO's decision to remove a board seat to be elected by TICO registrants because such a board seat was vacant and because TICO chose to act expediently.
However, what ACTA fails to disclose is that at the very same time TICO had cancelled the election for the open industry-elected board seat, ACTA appears to have had an empty seat on the TICO board vacated by an ACTA appointee. Two requests by registrant Helen Thompson Travel to TICO to clarify the status of the ACTA's empty board seat have gone unanswered, and the TICO web site still shows both the ACTA and elected seat vacant.
"This is further proof of TICO's arbitrary decision, one contrary to the existing bylaws, to cancel the election already in progress and to remove an industry board seat which would have been democratically elected by TICO registrants. It further proves that TICO's explanation about "expediency" cannot be reconciled against the fact that ACTA did not fill its vacant board seat which was also open at the time the election was cancelled", said ARTA Canada President Bruce Bishins, CTC.
ARTA Canada member Helen Thompson Travel, where Bishins also serves as Vice President, has written to the Honourable Ted McMeekin, Minister of Consumer Services, requesting that his additional appointment to the TICO board be delayed until after the TICO Annual General Meeting on 24 September 2009 so that TICO members can amend the bylaws to give the Minister a fifth appointee. The TICO registrant agency has also asked the Minister to approve a motion to restructure the TICO board with all-elected industry representatives, along with the Minister's five appointees. ARTA Canada supports the fifth ministerial appointment, but not at the expense of an industry-elected board seat.
Due to the serious issues facing TICO registrants, including TICO's quest to raise contributions to the compensation fund and to implement monetary penalties for violations of the regulations, ARTA Canada will continue its efforts to prevent TICO from "packing" the TICO board with "TICO cheerleaders" which ARTA Canada believes has led to TICO board stagnation, complacency, and cronyism.
To review the current TICO board composition, including the vacant ACTA and elected positions, please click here.
About ARTA Canada
ARTA Canada is the largest non-profit federally incorporated professional association of travel retailers in Canada, the members of which consist exclusively of travel agencies and travel agents. In addition to advocating fair and equitable treatment of travel consumers, ARTA Canada represents the commercial and strategic interests of its member travel agencies and travel agents in a variety of national and provincial domains including regulatory and legislative matters, automation, technology, sales and marketing, and distribution.
ARTA Canada is the strategic partner in Canada of the U.S.-based Association of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA). ARTA Canada is the Canadian member of UFTAA, the United Federation of Travel Agents' Associations. To join ARTA Canada, complete details and online membership application and secure payment are available on the ARTA Canada web site at www.artacanada.ca/join. | 
