Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Kailash Trip Planner Pvt. Ltd. is a registered travel planning and tour booking company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. We specialise in pilgrimage and adventure travel to Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, Tibet, Nepal, and surrounding Himalayan destinations. We organise complete tour packages including overland journeys, helicopter tours, trekking expeditions, cultural tours, and spiritual yatra programmes for individual travellers, families, and groups from India, Nepal, and across the world.

2. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all personal information collected through:

• Our website at kailashtripplanner.com and any sub-pages or landing pages
• Online tour enquiry and booking forms
• Email, WhatsApp, and telephone communications with our travel team
• Social media interactions and direct messages
• In-person meetings, registration forms, or document submissions for permit and visa processing

This policy does not apply to third-party websites linked from our site. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external platforms you visit.

3. Information We Collect

3.1  Enquiry & Booking Information

When you submit a tour enquiry, request a custom itinerary, or make a booking, we collect:

• Full name and any preferred name or spiritual name (for group leader lists and permit documentation)
• Email address and mobile number
• Country of residence and nationality
• Preferred travel dates, tour type, and group size
• Dietary requirements, health conditions, or physical fitness notes relevant to altitude trekking
• Any special requests or notes shared during enquiry or booking

3.2  Travel Document & Identity Information

For confirmed bookings involving Tibet, Nepal, or cross-border tours, we may request:

• Passport number, nationality, issue date, and expiry date
• Passport-sized photograph(s) as required for Tibet Travel Permits and Chinese visa applications
• Date of birth and gender (for permit and immigration records)
• Indian Overseas Citizens Card (OCI), Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card, or other identity documents where required
• Medical fitness certificates or emergency contact details for high-altitude trekking programmes
• Chinese visa copies or Tibet Group Visa confirmation once issued

3.3  Payment Information

When you make a payment for tour bookings, deposits, or balance settlements, payments are processed through our secure third-party payment providers — Stripe, PayPal, and eSewa. We do not store your full card numbers, banking credentials, or CVV details on our own servers.

We may retain records of:

• Transaction reference numbers and booking amounts
• Bank transfer confirmation details or payment receipts
• Partial billing information necessary for invoicing and accounting purposes

3.4  Communication Records

When you contact us by email, WhatsApp, telephone, or social media, we retain records of those communications to manage your booking and provide consistent service. This includes:

• Message history and responses from our travel team
• WhatsApp conversations related to tour queries, bookings, or trip updates
• Call logs or notes where applicable

3.5  Website Usage & Technical Data

When you browse kailashtripplanner.com, we and our third-party tools automatically collect certain information to help us improve our website and services:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on site, and referring URL
• Clicks, scroll depth, and on-site behaviour tracked via Google Analytics 4
• Video engagement data when you interact with YouTube Shorts and video content embedded on our site

4. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information you provide for the following purposes:

4.1  Delivering Travel Services

• Processing your tour enquiry and preparing a customised itinerary
• Confirming tour bookings, departure dates, and group allocations
• Applying for Tibet Travel Permits, Chinese group visas, and any required trekking or area permits on your behalf
• Making hotel, guesthouse, and accommodation reservations along your route
• Arranging airport transfers, overland transport, and vehicle hire
• Coordinating with licensed local guides, porters, and ground crew
• Sharing necessary details with partner agencies in Tibet, Nepal, and India for trip execution

4.2  Communication & Customer Service

• Responding to your enquiries, questions, and travel requests
• Sending booking confirmations, payment receipts, pre-departure information packs, and trip updates
• Communicating visa processing status, permit issuance updates, and travel advisories
• Following up after your trip for feedback or future travel assistance

4.3  Legal & Compliance Obligations

• Submitting traveller data to Chinese or Tibetan authorities, Nepal immigration, or Indian government bodies as required by law for cross-border travel
• Maintaining financial and booking records for accounting, auditing, and taxation compliance
• Responding to lawful requests from government agencies or regulatory bodies

4.4  Website Improvement & Analytics

• Understanding how visitors use our website through Google Analytics 4 to improve content, navigation, and tour listings
• Monitoring video engagement on embedded YouTube Shorts to assess which destinations and trip types interest our visitors most
• Monitoring website performance and diagnosing technical issues
• Conducting anonymised analysis of visitor trends to guide our content and marketing strategy

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors interact with our content.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies — Required for the website to function correctly (e.g., form submissions, page navigation, and session management).
• Analytics Cookies — Set by Google Analytics 4 to collect anonymised data about visitor behaviour, including pages visited, time on site, and traffic sources. This data helps us improve our website and tour content. Google Analytics data is processed by Google LLC under their own privacy policy.
• Functional Cookies — Used to remember your preferences and settings during your visit.
• Third-Party Cookies — Set by YouTube when you interact with embedded Shorts and videos on our site. YouTube (operated by Google LLC) may set its own cookies to track video views and engagement. Please refer to Google's Privacy Policy for details on how YouTube handles data.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some features on our website, including video playback.

By continuing to use our website, you consent to the use of cookies as described above.

6. Sharing Your Personal Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes. We share your information only as necessary to deliver your tour services or meet legal obligations.

We may share your information with:

• Hotels, Guesthouses & Lodges — Accommodation providers along your tour route in Nepal, Tibet, and India who require guest name lists and passport details for check-in and local registration.
• Transport & Vehicle Providers — Overland jeep, bus, or private car operators who require traveller details for permits and vehicle manifests.
• Local Tour Operators & Ground Agents — Licensed partner agencies in Tibet and Nepal who manage on-ground logistics, guide deployment, and permit submissions.
• Tibet Tourism Bureau & Chinese Authorities — Your passport and travel details will be submitted to the Tibet Tourism Bureau and relevant Chinese government authorities as a mandatory requirement for Tibet Travel Permits and Chinese Group Visas.
• Nepal Department of Immigration — Border crossing documentation may require sharing traveller details with Nepal immigration authorities.
• Indian Government Authorities — For Indian nationals, relevant details may be shared with Indian Embassy offices in Nepal or Indian government bodies where required for permit compliance.
• Payment Processors — Stripe, PayPal, and eSewa process your booking deposits and final payments. Each operates under their own privacy and security standards and PCI-DSS compliance frameworks.
• Google LLC (Analytics & YouTube) — Google Analytics 4 receives anonymised website usage data. YouTube receives interaction data when you play embedded videos on our site. Both services are governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
• Technical Service Providers — Web hosting, email platforms, and other technical tools used to operate and maintain our website and booking systems.
• Emergency Services — In the event of a medical emergency, accident, or safety incident during your tour, your relevant personal and medical information may be shared with emergency services, local hospitals, or evacuation providers.

All third parties with whom we share your data are required to handle it responsibly and only for the stated purpose. We do not authorise third parties to use your personal data for their own independent marketing or commercial activities.

7. How Long We Retain Your Information

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by applicable law.

• Enquiry records (where no booking is made) are retained for 30 days before being securely deleted.
• Booking and travel records (including itineraries, permit correspondence, and payment records) are retained for a minimum of 5 years for accounting and legal compliance purposes.
• Communication records (emails, WhatsApp logs) are retained for 2 years or the duration reasonably necessary to resolve any disputes or customer service matters.
• Website analytics data collected via Google Analytics 4 is retained in anonymised or aggregated form and is governed by Google's data retention settings, which we have set to 14 months.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or loss. These include:

• Secure email communication and encrypted file transfer where applicable
• Restricting access to personal data to authorised staff and service providers who need it to perform their duties
• Using PCI-DSS compliant payment processors — Stripe, PayPal, and eSewa — for all financial transactions
• Regularly reviewing our internal data handling practices

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

If you believe your personal information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

9. International Transfer of Personal Data

Given the nature of our services — which involve cross-border travel across Nepal, Tibet (China), and India — your personal information will necessarily be transferred to and processed in countries outside Nepal, including the People's Republic of China (Tibet Autonomous Region) and India.

Such transfers occur solely for the purpose of:

• Tibet Travel Permit and Chinese Group Visa applications
• Hotel and accommodation registrations in Tibet and India
• Border crossing documentation and immigration processing
• Ground-level tour coordination with licensed partner agencies

Additionally, data processed by Google Analytics 4 and YouTube (both operated by Google LLC) may be transferred to and stored on servers in the United States or other countries where Google operates, in accordance with Google's standard data transfer mechanisms.

By engaging our services and sharing your personal information with us, you acknowledge and consent to these international transfers as necessary for the delivery of your tour itinerary.

10. Your Rights & Choices

We respect your rights in relation to your personal data. Depending on your country of residence and applicable data protection laws, you may have the right to:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected] or via WhatsApp at +1 510 736 9933. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and, where required by law, within 30 days.

Please note that certain data — particularly passport information submitted for permit applications — may not be deletable once it has been submitted to government authorities, as this is outside our control.

11. Children's Privacy

Our tours and services are primarily offered to adults. Where a booking includes minor travellers (under 18 years of age), personal information is provided by and on behalf of the accompanying parent or legal guardian, who accepts responsibility for the accuracy and consent of that information.

We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children without verifiable parental consent.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us:

13. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology, legal requirements, or business practices. When we do, we will revise the effective date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of our website or services after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. For significant changes, we may notify active customers by email at [email protected].