Privacy Policy - Hunza Adventure Tours

1. Introduction & Scope

Welcome to Hunza Adventure Tours Pakistan ("we," "our," "us"). We are an indigenous, government-licensed tour and trekking operator registered with the Department of Tourist Services (Govt. of Pakistan License # ID-1994), headquartered in Islamabad and Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan.

This Privacy Policy explains in a transparent, straightforward manner how we collect, store, process, protect, and handle your personal data when you visit our website (www.hunzaadventuretours.com.pk), contact us via email or WhatsApp, or book our trekking expeditions, mountaineering trips, and cultural holidays in Pakistan.

2. Information We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us and the nature of your trip, we may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Contact & Identification Data: Full name, nationality, date of birth, gender, home address, email address, and WhatsApp/telephone number.
• Passport & Travel Documentation: Passport number, issue/expiry dates, country of issuance, scanned copy of passport bio-data page (necessary for issuing official Pakistan visa Letters of Invitation and government mountain permits).
• Trip Preferences & Booking Details: Chosen itinerary, departure dates, group size, single supplement preferences, room requirements, and dietary restrictions.
• Emergency Contact Details: Name, relationship, and 24/7 phone number of your designated emergency contact person back home.
• Medical & Physical Fitness Information: High-altitude experience, known medical allergies, chronic health conditions, and fitness levels (required exclusively to ensure medical safety on high-altitude glacier treks).
• Technical Website Data: IP address, browser type, device details, and anonymous page visit metrics collected automatically via standard cookies.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data strictly for legitimate operational purposes related to planning and executing your travel arrangements in Pakistan:

1. To prepare customized tour proposals, cost estimates, and respond to your inquiries.
2. To issue verified, stamped Letters of Invitation (LOI) and tour vouchers for your Pakistan online eVisa application.
3. To process mandatory Government Trekking & Expedition Permits with the Ministry of Tourism, Gilgit-Baltistan Council, and Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP).
4. To reserve domestic flight tickets (PIA, Airblue), boutique hotels, private transport, and experienced mountain guides.
5. To ensure your medical safety, monitor altitude acclimatization, and provide emergency medical evacuation support if required.
6. To communicate important pre-departure travel updates, flight confirmations, and weather advisories.

4. Passport & Official Visa LOI Security

To travel in Pakistan and enter restricted mountain territories (such as Baltoro Glacier, K2 Base Camp, Snow Lake, and Khunjerab Pass), foreign nationals are required by Pakistan state law to hold official trekking permits, security clearances, and registered tour operator sponsorships.

5. Health, Medical & Safety Information

High-altitude trekking in the Karakoram, Himalayas, and Hindu Kush involves physical exertion at elevations between 3,000m and 5,600m.

We may request relevant medical background (such as asthma, cardiovascular history, or severe allergies) to allow our certified native expedition leaders and high-altitude chefs to tailor safety precautions and dietary preparation for you. This sensitive health data is accessible only to our lead expedition managers and is kept strictly confidential.

6. Financial & Payment Security

We adhere to stringent security protocols regarding all booking transactions:

• No Card Storage on Servers: We do not store, process, or record your debit or credit card CVV codes or complete banking credentials on our web server.
• Direct Bank Transfers: Advance tour deposits are transferred securely via direct international bank-to-bank SWIFT/wire transfers to our verified corporate account (Bank Alfalah Limited Pakistan) or authorized remittance channels.
• SSL Encryption: All communications through our web forms utilize industry-standard 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption.

7. Information Sharing & Third Parties

We only share necessary guest information with trusted third-party service providers directly involved in fulfilling your travel itinerary:

• Government & Regulatory Bodies: Department of Tourist Services, Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department, and Alpine Club of Pakistan for official permits and liaison officer assignment.
• Domestic Airlines & Transport: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) or private airlines for domestic flight bookings (Islamabad–Skardu / Islamabad–Gilgit).
• Accommodation Partners: Hotels, resorts, and heritage guest houses for room reservations.
• Emergency Services: Askari Aviation (Pakistan Army Aviation Rescue) and medical emergency facilities in the event of an urgent high-altitude evacuation.

Under no circumstances do we sell, rent, or distribute your data to external third parties for advertising or unsolicited promotional campaigns.

8. Cookies & Web Analytics

Our website uses standard browser cookies and anonymous analytical tools (such as Google Analytics) to improve user experience, monitor site speed, and evaluate which tour itineraries are most popular among travelers.

Cookies are small text files placed on your device. You can configure your internet browser at any time to refuse all cookies or notify you when a cookie is sent without affecting your ability to browse our itineraries.

9. Data Security & Retention

We implement industry-standard physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the travel services requested, satisfy government statutory tax and audit requirements in Pakistan, and resolve potential disputes. Following this period, digital records are securely purged.

10. Your Rights & Choices

Under applicable international data protection standards, you maintain several fundamental rights regarding your personal information:

• Right of Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You may request the correction of any inaccurate or outdated information.
• Right to Erasure: You may request the deletion of your personal records, subject to legal and governmental permit retention requirements.
• Opt-Out: You may unsubscribe from our seasonal newsletters and promotional emails at any time with a single click.

11. Contact Our Data Protection Officer

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your travel data is handled by our team, please contact our Data Protection Officer: