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TICO vs OPC: travel counsellor career pathways

Compare the route you would actually follow. TICO does not provide a current individual-holder total in the reviewed report; OPC’s published category combines counsellors and agency managers. These figures cannot rank provincial competition.

· Sources checked:

Choose your provincial pathway ↓How to read these numbers

Compare the two pathways

Scroll this table sideways. Full provincial guides follow below.

Compare the two pathways
MeasureOntarioQuébec
Application requirementsTICO certification before regulated selling/advice; work on behalf of a registered agencyOPC file, ITHQ exam, one agency link and a valid annual certificate
Official learning and examNew combined e-learning program and exam from 5 January 2026ITHQ counsellor exam: 60 minutes, 65%; manager route separate
Employee gross hourly medianCAD 25.00 · NOC / CNP 64310CAD 21.63 · NOC / CNP 64310
Employment outlookModerate (2025–2027, NOC / CNP 64310)Limited (2025–2027, NOC / CNP 64310)
Official certificate populationNot reported · Current individual certificate-holder total not stated in the reviewed report · 2025/26 annual report; no individual stock date available12,234 · valid counsellor AND agency-manager certificates, combined · 31 March 2025 · 2024–2025 annual report

The medians describe NOC 64310 employees, not the revenue or profit of a self-employed travel business. They include commissions, tips and bonuses; they are not starting offers. The reviewed TICO report does not state a current individual total. OPC combines counsellor and manager certificates. These cannot rank competition or count open jobs.

Choose your provincial pathway

Ontario · TICO →

Prepare for travel-counsellor work on behalf of a TICO-registered Ontario agency. Understand the 2026 combined certification program, agency relationship, official costs and dated employment evidence before you enrol.

Employee gross hourly median
CAD 25.00
NOC 64310 · Travel counsellors; not a TICO/OPC-only cohort.
2023–2024 LFS reference · annual release 19 Nov 2025 · later minimum-wage adjustments may apply.
Official certificate population
Not reported
Current individual certificate-holder total not stated in the reviewed report · 2025/26 annual report; no individual stock date available
Employment outlook
Moderate
2025–2027 · published 10 Dec 2025 · NOC 64310, not a certificate-holder-only forecast.
Official source ↗Official source ↗Official source ↗

TICO reports 8,200 exam sittings in 2025/26 and 119,801 exams since July 2009, not a current total of unique certified people. Its 1,870 registrations at 31 March 2026 are travel-retail/wholesale business registrations. None of these figures can substitute for current individual certificate holders or jobs.

  • Current program: CA$150

    For new enrolments from 5 January 2026, Oliver’s lists the learning program with one exam attempt at CA$150. Confirm the checkout total and any applicable taxes directly. Our practice remains free.

    Official source ↗

  • New-program rewrite: CA$50

    TICO lists CA$50 for a rewrite under the new program. Waiting periods and provider rules apply. Older-program rewrite fees and closing dates concern existing eligible learners, not new enrolments.

    Official source ↗

  • Certification is not annual business registration

    TICO says individual certification does not expire and existing certifications remain valid without retesting. Do not add travel-business registration/renewal fees to an ordinary employee’s certification as though they were the same product.

    Official source ↗
Start free practice →Official application steps ↗

Québec · OPC →

Follow Québec’s counsellor route in the right order: create the OPC file, pass the ITHQ exam, link to a permitted agency and complete certificate issuance. Distinguish exam fees, certificate fees and annual renewal.

Employee gross hourly median
CAD 21.63
NOC 64310 · Travel counsellors; not a TICO/OPC-only cohort.
2023–2024 LFS reference · annual release 19 Nov 2025 · later minimum-wage adjustments may apply.
Official certificate population
12,234
valid counsellor AND agency-manager certificates, combined · 31 March 2025 · 2024–2025 annual report
Employment outlook
Limited
2025–2027 · published 10 Dec 2025 · NOC 64310, not a certificate-holder-only forecast.
Official source ↗Official source ↗Official source ↗

OPC’s report lists 12,234 valid certificates in the combined “travel counsellor and agency manager” category at 31 March 2025. It is not a counsellor-only headcount, a 2026 live total or a count of current jobs. The report listing checked for this guide linked the 2024–2025 report.

  • ITHQ counsellor exam: CA$71 as published

    ITHQ’s provider page lists CA$71 per person for the counsellor exam. This is separate from OPC certificate issuance and renewal. Confirm the current amount, tax treatment and exam conditions before registering.

    Official source ↗

  • OPC certificate issuance: CA$72

    OPC lists CA$72 through 30 June 2027. After the exam, pay and complete the agency link within the regulator’s two-year limit. Annual indexation occurs on 1 July.

    Official source ↗

  • Annual certificate renewal: CA$36

    OPC lists CA$36 through 30 June 2027, payable through certificate management. A yearly certificate renewal is not the same as retaking the exam each year.

    Official source ↗
Start free practice →Official application steps ↗

All amounts are CAD, as published and checked on 25 October 2026. Program, exam, certificate and agency fees have different scopes. Check the current provider terms, taxes and applicable fees before paying.

Certification is not agency registration

In Ontario, a course certificate does not register your own travel business. In Québec, the individual certificate and the agency permit are separate, with an agency link required for the ordinary counsellor route. Confirm destination requirements before working across provinces.

Official source ↗

Renewal differs between the two systems

TICO says individual certification does not expire. Québec requires annual certificate renewal. Neither statement eliminates an agency’s separate registration or permit responsibilities.

Official source ↗

A forecast is not a hiring probability

Ontario is Moderate and Québec Limited for NOC 64310 in the 2025–2027 outlook. These occupational assessments reflect employment changes, retirement and available workers. They cannot be divided by certificate totals to estimate your chance of a job.

Official source ↗

Questions before you apply

Which province has fewer certificate holders competing for work?

The reviewed sources cannot answer that comparison. Ontario exam sittings are not current people, and Québec combines counsellor and manager certificates. Neither number is a current applicant or vacancy count.

Official source ↗Official source ↗
Does one provincial credential automatically transfer?

Do not assume automatic authority to sell. Confirm your agency’s registration or permit and the destination’s individual certification requirements with TICO or OPC. This comparison is not a credential-recognition decision.

Official source ↗Official source ↗
Can free practice provide certification or a job?

No. These original exercises are independent, unofficial and not licensed-reviewed. They help revision but do not replace official learning, examinations, regulatory approval or an employer’s hiring process.

Official source ↗Official source ↗

Definitions, dates and limits

  • Regulatory population and employment are separate. No current individual-holder stock was found in the reviewed TICO 2025/26 report; its exam sittings and registered businesses are different measures. OPC’s 12,234 valid certificates at 31 March 2025 combine counsellors and agency managers. None is a live vacancy count.
  • Wages cover NOC 64310 travel counsellor employees across the occupation, not only TICO/OPC holders. Both provincial estimates use the 2023–2024 Labour Force Survey reference period and were released on 19 November 2025. Minimum-wage adjustments may affect published figures.
  • Amounts are gross CAD per hour. LFS wages include commissions, tips and bonuses and exclude self-employment. They are not base pay excluding commissions, take-home pay or the sales revenue/profit of a home-based travel business.
  • Outlooks cover 2025–2027 and were released on 10 December 2025. A later update to recent labour-market trends or the website is not a new three-year forecast. Moderate, Limited and Undetermined are occupation/region assessments, not individual hiring probabilities.
  • Official program, exam, certificate and business fees have different scopes. Confirm eligibility, agency arrangements, taxes and current charges directly before paying. Our bilingual editorial content does not establish eligibility for official English-language service in Québec.

Source availability: the provincial Job Bank wage and outlook profiles were directly readable during the final 25 October 2026 check. Several TICO and ITHQ pages blocked scripted access but opened normally in a browser; the cited program, fees and conditions were verified there. Figures retain their stated reference periods and are not a live data feed.

Official source ↗Official source ↗

Official references

The reference period describes the data; the checked date describes our editorial review. A page update is not a new statistical observation.