Privacy Policy

1. Overview & Service Model

Hills Tourism operates an enquiry-led mountain travel planning service across India’s premier hill stations, including Munnar, Coorg, Ooty, Shimla, Darjeeling, and Manali. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information when you browse our website, explore curated itineraries, or submit a trip enquiry.

2. Information We Collect

Because Hills Tourism is an enquiry-based service rather than an automated booking engine, we collect only the information necessary to design and coordinate your customized trip:

• Contact Information: Full name, phone number, and optional email address.
• Trip Preferences: Selected travel package, destination, preferred dates, group size, and special requirements.
• Stay & Fleet Selections: Preferred hotel category (Normal, Premium, 5-Star) and vehicle type.
• Enquiry Notes: Specific preferences or questions submitted through our enquiry form.
• Technical Data: Browser user agent, approximate IP geolocation, and page interactions used solely for site performance and abuse mitigation.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To review your mountain trip request and contact you via phone or WhatsApp with a tailored itinerary.
• To coordinate verified homestays, boutique resorts, and dedicated mountain chauffeurs for your journey.
• To answer questions submitted through our interactive HillGuide assistant.
• To maintain platform security, prevent fraudulent submissions, and monitor system health.

We never sell, rent, or trade your personal information with third-party data brokers or marketing networks.

4. Data Storage & Infrastructure Providers

We utilize reliable cloud infrastructure to safeguard your information:

• Database Storage: Google Cloud Firestore stores enquiries securely under server-side encryption.
• Media Delivery: Cloudinary hosts our high-definition photography and mountain media assets.
• Operational Backups: Automated enquiry logs synced with secure enterprise Google Sheets for team dispatch.
• Communication Services: Direct WhatsApp Business messaging and transactional SMTP notification services.
• AI Assistant (HillGuide): Google Gemini API processes real-time travel queries without storing personal conversational histories for public advertising.

5. Data Retention & Traveler Rights

Enquiry records are retained for the duration of trip planning and subsequent travel support. You retain the right to inspect, update, or request deletion of your submitted contact details at any time by contacting our privacy coordinator at hello@hillstourism.com.

6. Contact Hills Tourism

If you have questions regarding this Privacy Policy or data handling practices, reach us at: