Once your claim has been submitted, you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt within 30 days. It will be sent by email or mail, depending on how your claim was submitted.

You will be assigned a claim number. Keep that number handy for any future communications regarding your claim. This will make it easier to follow up on your file.

In addition, make sure the contact information indicated on the claim form is correct. Please notify us of any changes to this information without delay. If you provided us with an email address, we will use it as our primary means of contacting you regarding the subsequent steps.

An Office representative (who could be a provisional administrator or a claims manager) will first determine whether your claim is eligible for compensation. To do so, this person must check whether:

• you did business with a travel agency that holds a valid Québec travel agent licence at the time the contract was entered into;
• the subject of your claim corresponds to a situation covered by the Fund.

If your claim does not qualify for reimbursement or compensation, a decision will be rendered at this step. You will receive a written communication explaining the reasons your claim was refused. Depending on the situation, various recourse options may be suggested to you. In any case, you will have the opportunity to contact an Office representative to obtain further explanations or submit new documents.

If your claim is deemed eligible, the Office representative will then analyze the supporting documents submitted with your claim. They will make sure you submitted all of the required documents (which may be copies of the original documents):

• the duly completed claim form;
• the invoices and receipts issued by the travel agency for the trip or services in question. In the case of an organized tour, you must also have submitted the tour’s itinerary, if it does not appear on the invoices or receipts;
• proof of payment of the invoice(s) (e.g., a credit card statement, bank account statement, transaction receipt, photocopy of the front and back of the cashed cheque, etc.);
• any documentary proof of the travel agency’s reimbursement decision or a statement indicating that steps were undertaken with the agency, but no documents proving its decision can be provided (Appendix 1 of the claim form).

Depending on your situation, other documents may be required, such as:

• proof of cancellation or interruption of the trip or services;
• if any other fees other than those paid to the agency have been paid (e.g., for meals, accommodations or transportation), the invoices and proof of payment of those fees;
• if any transportation, such as a flight, has been delayed, proof of that delay and/or the ticket issued by the carrier;
• if one or more customers concerned in the compensation claim hold or are covered by travel insurance, a document proving the decision by the insurer OR a statement indicating that steps were undertaken with the insurer, but no documents proving its decision can be provided (Appendix 1 of the claim form);
• if one or more credit cards were used to pay for the travel agency’s services, a document proving the decision by the credit card issuer regarding the reimbursement of the amounts paid OR a statement indicating that steps were undertaken with the issuer, but no documents proving its decision can be provided (Appendix 1 of the claim form);
• if a reimbursement or a travel credit has been obtained, proof of the reimbursement or credit;
• any other relevant document (judgment rendered against a service provider or the travel agency, notice of bankruptcy or closure of a service provider or travel agency, copy of a warning from a Canadian public authority to avoid all non-essential travel to the destination and on the dates concerned, etc.).

Based on your claim, you may be asked to submit additional supporting documents as it is being processed. In such a case, you will receive a written communication specifying which document(s) are to be provided so that the Office representative can complete the analysis of your claim.

After 2 written communications have remained unanswered, the Office representative will contact you by telephone. You may also receive a call if the newly submitted documents do not meet the required criteria.

In this step, the Office representative will assess your file, including the proof submitted. This analysis will be conducted by following the following main steps:

5.1 Determining the value of the tourism services not received

The Fund only provides for a reimbursement of tourist services not received that were purchased from a travel agent. The value of tourist services obtained or purchased from a business that does not hold a licence will be excluded from this calculation.

If the unreceived tourist services are part of a package purchased from a travel agent, you can ask the agent to provide you with the value of the services you have not received. Based on your package, the agent should be able to determine the value of each unreceived service (accommodations, meals, activities, etc.).

5.2 Determining the value of living expenses, if applicable

The Fund may reimburse fees incurred for meals and accommodations because you did not receive the services for which you paid.

As of July 1, 2025, a maximum reimbursement of $247 per day, per person, may be granted. That amount is indexed annually.

The amount of your claim must be reasonable. The fact that you may not unjustifiably profit from the situation is taken into consideration. Invoices and proof of payment are required.

The following scale is used to determine what constitutes a reasonable amount for each eligible meal:

• $19 per day, per person, for breakfast;
• $31 per day, per person, for lunch;
• $37 per day, per person, for dinner.

5.3 Determining other amounts, if applicable

Depending on the circumstances, you may have to pay additional amounts, such as to replace unreceived tourist services, to continue your trip or to be repatriated.

The amount of your claim must be reasonable. The fact that you may not unjustifiably profit from the situation is taken into consideration. Invoices and proof of payment are required.

5.4 Excluding any amounts received

You cannot be reimbursed twice for the same event. Any amounts you received will be excluded from the calculation of your compensation.

For example, if you received a reimbursement from your insurer or the issuer of your credit card, that amount will be deducted from the compensation by the Fund to which you are entitled.

If you obtained a travel credit from your travel agent, you could refuse it if this solution does not suit you. By committing to not using your travel credit, you could receive a reimbursement from the Fund.

Once your claim’s analysis has been completed, a decision will be rendered. If you are entitled to compensation, you will be sent a cheque.

If need be, you can contact an Office representative for more detailed information about the decision and the amount of compensation you received.