Laws and Regulations Applicable to the Travel Industry - Institut de ...

3.1.3 First licence
You will be able to obtain a general travel licence if you satisfy the stipulated
requirements. If you fail to provide all the information and documents
required, your licence can be refused or delayed. Don’t forget that
you are responsible for informing the OPC of any changes affecting information
or documents submitted in support of the licence application within
15 days of a change. Such changes may include the names of directors or
investors, the fiscal year-end, documents or signatories of the trust
account, address, etc. For more details, see section 12 of the Regulation.
The general licence is issued not in the name of the travel agency (e.g.
6 Continents) but in your own name (e.g. Lucky Fortunato) on behalf of
the person, association or company that operates the travel agency. In
this case, you must obtain written authorization from the person, association
or company to apply for the licence. In either case, whether it is
for you or someone else, you must work in the principal establishment
full time and perform management duties. You must also be at
least 18 years old.
Did you know that…
… certain enterprises or
persons, although they offer
activities linked to tourism, are
not governed by the Travel Agent
Act. Consequently, they do not
need a general or restricted
licence to perform this work.
For information on those whom
the Act does not apply, see
section 1.1. of the Regulation
respecting travel agents.
How do you go about making your first application? Fill out the Demande
de permis d’agent de voyage form (see the example below) provided by the
OPC and available on its website. Once completed, the form must be sent
to the OPC, showing payment for the required licence fee (see Table 3.1).
You must also enclose the following documents:
For the following documents, refer to an accountant (see Topic 2 for additional
details):
• the opening balance sheet, showing working capital of at least $5,000.
This financial statement must include an auditor’s certificate or a
review engagement report.
• an indication of the agency’s fiscal year end date.
For the following documents, refer to your financial institution (see Topic
2 for more details):
• the opening documents and signature log for each trust account,
signed by the representative of a financial institution.
Are you applying for a licence in order to continue operating as a new legal
entity? If so, you must attach the financial statements as well as the former
travel agent’s trust accounts statements, showing the figures as of the date
of your licence application. In this case, Mr. Fortunato, who takes over his
employer’s active business assets, must complete the travel agent licence
application presented on page 34.
Did you know that…
… the Office de la protection
du consommateur publishes
a notice in the Gazette officielle
du Québec every year indicating
the cost of a licence.
Topic 3 – Operating with a Licence • Unauthorized reproduction prohibited 33