Mohamed Hachemi Bensaci, former Director of Holy Destinations Travel Inc., has been sentenced to 18 months in jail and ordered to pay $436,500 in restitution after pleading guilty to numerous violations under Ontario’s Travel Industry Act, 2002.
Holy Destinations Travel Inc., based in Ontario and specializing in Islamic pilgrimages, operated as a registered travel agency from 2019 until its registration was revoked by the Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) on July 26, 2023 following a wave of consumer complaints.
The travel agency itself was fined $35,000.
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The charges stem from a total of 59 offences involving the collection of consumer funds for Hajj travel packages that were never delivered.
In 2022, the Saudi Arabian government changed regulations, requiring North Americans to book Hajj travel exclusively through a government-run portal. Despite this change, Holy Destinations continued to sell Hajj packages in 2023, misleading consumers and failing to deposit collected funds into the agency’s trust account.
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In total, 41 consumers lost a combined $436,500.
According to TICO, its Compensation Fund reimbursed a portion of the losses—$142,000 in total—to affected individuals.
“This case highlights the importance of booking travel with a TICO-registered agency or tour operator,” TICO said in a statement.
Under the Travel Industry Act, 2002, individuals can face fines of up to $50,000 and/or up to two years in jail. Corporations may be fined up to $250,000.
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Consumers can verify whether a travel agency or website is registered with TICO by using the free search tool at tico.ca/search.
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