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The Independent, Canadian Statesman Weekender, Bowmanville, Saturday, January 15,1994 5 New Regulations Make Travel Advertisements More Accountable to Public Vacationers will be getting more truth in travel advertising, thanks to recent changes to the Ontario Travel Act. Regulations introduced in early December now require that travel service service operators include service charges, surcharge fees and levies in all advertised advertised rates. Ads must state whether transportation taxes and the GST (Goods and Services Tax) are included. included. The new rules apply to print as well as broadcast media. Before the new rules were approved approved by the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial. Relations, Canadian sun-seekers were constantly coming across unrealistic air-fare prices in ads, says Elizabeth Belanger- Linkletter, manager of the Blessings Travel in Bowmanville. Many wound up feeling conned when the hidden taxes were finally revealed. revealed. . "Clients would call up and want a $139 rate they saw advertised by another another company and I'd want to scream," she recalls, "because I knew there was no way in the world it was possible." . Those cheap-sounding trips really weren't, she says, because transportation transportation taxes, GST, U.S. customs taxes and a whole host of other sundry costs were never included. Once added to the basic advertised rate, taxes could practically double the original figure. For an example, she describes a package deal including hotel accommodation, accommodation, car rental and airfare to Orlando, Orlando, Florida which was advertised for $189. When clients called the travel travel agent they were told that what they wanted was going to cost $300-plus with all the taxes, she said. In some cases, loss-leader advertised advertised rates were for seniors or children travelling mid-week, she adds. Her husband, Gordon Linkleiter, is the travel consultant at Blessings Travel. He is also pleased with the new regulations, but worries that the public may be in for a mild shock once the tax-included totals begin to show up in newspaper ads. "The public is going to have to be re-educated. They will suddenly see. the real cost of travel and wonder why the cost has gone up." What the new regulations should do is level the playing field for smalltown smalltown agencies, Mr. Linkletter points out. Agents in small communities don't have enormous advertising budgets budgets and, in the past, have had to disappoint disappoint clients expecting to get rates as low as they had seen or heard in misleading ads. He feels the new rales will put an end to the angry reactions and lost opportunities opportunities such advertising has caused honest operators. Advertisers can no longer capitalize capitalize unfairly on fluctuating seasonal airfares by making it a practice to advertise advertise prices for destination dates that have long passed. And, if an ad does highlight a previously available price, Mr. Linkletter says, it must be a price that was available 14 days before the ad appears and it must state clearly that die price is a previous price. Advertised rates must also be stated stated in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise otherwise noted. The advertising regulations were prompted by a. number of complaints within the travel industry as well as complaints from the public, explains Mr. Linkletter. Other changes to the Ontario Travel Travel Act currently in effect concern new restrictions to the Compensation Fund that protects customers from bankrupt travel dealers. The fund will now only compensate compensate travellers for claims arising from bankruptcies or insolvent registrants in Ontario. It is hoped the change will encourage encourage the public to use Ontario institutions, institutions, says Mr. Linkletter. THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE TO ITS CITIZENS MAYOR'S LEVEE AND OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE VOLUNTEERS' WALL OF FAME Everyone is cordially invited to join us at the Mayor's Levee to be held on Sunday, January 16, 1994, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Municipal Administrative Centre, 40 Temperance Street, Bowmanville. Patti L. Barrie, A.M.C.T. Town Clerk Municipality of Clarington 40 Temperance Street Bowmanville, Ontario L1C3A6 /7\ t MUNICIPALITY OF ( ilarington ONTARIO Dates of Publication: January 5,1994; January 12,1994 February Designated Big Brothers Month February is Big Brothers Month in the Municipality of Clarington. A number of events are being scheduled during February throughout the municipality, states a letter from Clarington Big Brothers Executive Director, Director, Nancy Scott. :In a letter to Clarington municipal council, she stated that one of those events is the annual "Bowl for Millions" Millions" to be held the week of Feb. 12 to 19. This is the 16th year the event has been held here. Saturday, Feb. 12, is Youth Bowl- Your donations kelp give someone a second ckance. Improving your odds against Canada's *2 killer ing Day and Saturday, Feb. 19, is Celebrity Celebrity Bowling Day. On Monday afternoon, Scott told The Statesman, the organizing committee committee is looking for new bowlers and challenges from one group to another. Over the years, a number of challenges challenges have taken place between real estate offices, bardes, the municipal staff, newspapers, DBIAs, and car dealerships. "Last year, Wally Pitt, the principal principal of Dr. Emily Stowe Public School, and his son bowled as a team," said Scott. She said she would like to see more groups get into the act by throwing throwing challenges out to other organizations. organizations. Scott noted that the money raised is put into the organization's operations operations budget. Also, because Liberty . Bowl owners -- where the fund-raiser takes place -- donate the space to Big Brothers, the organization is able to put more of the money collected towards towards their programs than would otherwise otherwise be possible. To start off the fun on Monday, Feb. 7, there will be a flag-raising at the municipal administrative centre. Locally owned and operated by Glen Morris RED BARN Fenelon Falls •****%j LEATHER FASHIONS .SI A huge selection of quality, classic leather apparel in a rainbow of colours for LADIES and MEN ANNUALLEATHER CLEARANCE ends Sun., Jan. 16th VISIT FENELON "It's Worth It" Open y ear round ,a Also Antiques & Gifts 12 Francis St. W. Fenelon Falls 705-887-1700 LUS 1 WE PAY ALL TAXES, 183 Queen St. Port Perry, Ont. (905) 985-8234 HOURS: Mon. - Thurs. and Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Friday 'til 9 p.m. Sun. 12-5 p.m. ANNUAL WINTER FURNITURE SALE JANUARY 15 TO FEBRUARY 15