The Travel Industry Council of Ontario (TICO) has charged Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc. with one count of operating as a travel agent without being registered.

Additionally, company principals Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault have both been charged with one count each of operating as a travel agent without being registered, and one count each of being an Officer and Director of a Corporation and failing to take reasonable care to prevent the Corporation from committing an offence, in this case, for operating without TICO registration.

It is alleged that Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc., Dwayne Pogue and Stefanie Landriault operate out of Mount Albert and Newmarket, Ontario.

On its Facebook page, Elite Encounters and Adventures Inc. states: “We host amazing trips all over the world and bring topic experts, influencers and athletes along.”

The company website features a long list of trips that were planned to take place between February and October, with destinations including Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Egypt, Italy, Peru, Indonesia, Mexico and French Polynesia. Each trip was to be led by one or more ‘influencers.’

Pogue and Landriault will appear in court on March 17 in Newmarket, Ontario.

Individuals convicted in Court of offences relating to the Travel Industry Act, 2002 are subject to fines of up to $50,000 and/or prison terms of up to two years. Corporations are subject to fines of up to $250,000.