Data Deletion Policy

1. What Travel Information May Be Deleted

Upon receiving a verified deletion request, Timeless Trek can permanently delete or anonymize the following categories of traveler data:

• General contact information (full name, email address, mobile telephone number, mailing address)
• Website enquiry submissions, customized tour requests, and quotation records
• Direct correspondence history via email and customer support logs
• Digital copies of government identity documents (passports, voter ID cards, passport photographs) submitted strictly for temporary border clearances or tour permits (such as Bhutan entry permits or Sikkim PAP/ILP), provided the tour has concluded and applicable regulatory audit periods have expired
• Travel preference profiles, rooming preferences, emergency contact details, and dietary notes
• Non-statutory traveler feedback, survey responses, and customer service notes

2. Information Subject to Mandatory Statutory Retention

Under applicable Indian laws, tourism regulations, and financial accounting standards, certain records cannot be immediately expunged and must be retained for prescribed statutory periods:

• Financial & Invoicing Records: Tax invoices, payment receipts, GST filings, and bank transaction vouchers must be retained for the statutory period mandated by the Indian Income Tax Act and GST regulations (typically 7 to 8 years).
• Active Tour Reservations: Personal documentation necessary to fulfill an upcoming, uncompleted tour cannot be erased until all travel services, hotel stays, and border crossings have concluded safely.
• Legal & Police Compliance: Official guest records required by state tourism authorities or police departments (such as Hotel Form C registration for foreign nationals) under mandatory statutory directives.
• Dispute Resolution: Records relevant to ongoing claims, insurance investigations, or unresolved payment disputes.

Protection Safeguard: Where data must be retained to fulfill statutory obligations, access is strictly restricted, isolated from day-to-day operations, and securely archived until the statutory retention window lapses.

3. Sovereign Immigration & Third-Party Systems

When facilitating international journeys to the Kingdom of Bhutan or protected sectors in Sikkim and the Northeast, passenger documentation is submitted to sovereign government portals (e.g., the Department of Immigration - Royal Government of Bhutan, Tourism Council of Bhutan, or Sikkim State Tourism Department).

Once submitted to official government immigration portals or airline reservation systems (such as Drukair or Bhutan Airlines), that data resides within government databases and independent carrier systems beyond our direct administrative control.

Deleting your personal records from Timeless Trek removes all local and cloud files held by us, but does not alter records independently maintained by government immigration authorities.

4. How to Submit a Data Deletion Request

To request the deletion of your personal information, please send an official email to our data privacy desk at timelesstrek.bhutan@gmail.com with the subject line Travel Data Deletion Request - [Your Full Legal Name].

Please ensure your email includes:

• Your full legal name (matching your passport or government ID)
• Your registered email address and primary telephone number
• Booking confirmation ID or invoice reference number (if you previously traveled with us)
• A clear description of the specific records or documents you wish to have removed (e.g., "Delete my passport scan and contact details")

5. Identity Verification Protocol

To protect our travelers from unauthorized, fraudulent, or malicious deletion requests, we must verify the identity of the person making the request.

We will send a verification confirmation to the registered email address or phone number on file before any personal records or travel files are permanently expunged.

6. Processing Timelines & Confirmation

Upon successful verification of your identity, our data management team will process your request within 30 calendar days.

During this period, all eligible files, identification copies, and correspondence will be systematically expunged from our operational systems and encrypted backup archives.

Once the deletion process is complete, a written confirmation will be transmitted to your verified email address.

7. Contact Our Privacy Operations Desk

For all data deletion requests, privacy inquiries, or questions regarding our document handling practices, please contact us:

Related Travel Policies & Links

• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions
• Refund & Cancellation Policy
• Contact Our Travel Desk