1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how the Sikkim Travel and Tourism Fair ("STTF", "we", "us" or "our") collects, uses and protects personal information through its website, registration forms and event-related communications.

STTF is organised by Panda Events Management, with Monk and Mountains Tours & Travels as Co-Organiser. These organisers handle information for the purposes described in this policy.

The policy covers buyers, exhibitors, sellers, sponsors, partners and people making enquiries about STTF or its familiarisation trips ("FAM trips").

2. Information we collect

Depending on your enquiry or participation, we may collect:

• Contact details: Name, email address, telephone or WhatsApp number, and location.
• Professional details: Company name, designation, business address, website, business category and tourism interests.
• Participation details: Buyer applications, exhibitor registrations, stall preferences, meeting interests and sponsorship enquiries.
• Travel details: Arrival and departure information, accommodation requirements and FAM trip preferences, where needed to arrange your participation.
• Booking records: Billing information, payment references and transaction status where a booking involves payment.
• Communications: Information you provide through forms, email, telephone, WhatsApp or feedback.
• Technical information: IP address, browser and device information, and website security logs where collected by our hosting services.

If identity documents are required for travel permits or other arrangements, we will explain the purpose and collection method separately. Please do not submit identity documents, financial credentials or medical information through a general enquiry form.

3. How we use information

We use relevant information to:

• Respond to enquiries and process applications.
• Assess buyer participation and coordinate registrations.
• Manage stall bookings, sponsorship enquiries and event administration.
• Arrange relevant B2B meetings and business introductions.
• Coordinate confirmed accommodation, transport and FAM trips.
• Send application updates, booking confirmations and essential event information.
• Maintain necessary financial and administrative records.
• Protect our website, prevent misuse and meet applicable legal obligations.

Optional promotional messages about future events will be handled separately from communications needed to manage your current enquiry or booking.

4. Choices and consent

Where we rely on consent, we will ask for it for the relevant purpose. Simply browsing our website does not constitute consent to promotional messages or unrelated sharing of your information.

You may decline optional information requests or withdraw consent by contacting us. If information is necessary to process an application or provide an arrangement, withholding it or withdrawing consent may affect that service. We will explain this where relevant.

You can ask us to stop promotional communications at any time.

Separate choices relating to cookies and similar tracking technologies are addressed in Section 7.

5. Sharing information

We may share relevant information with:

• Authorised members of the organising team.
• Providers supporting website hosting, forms, email, registration and event administration.
• Hotels, transport providers and FAM trip coordinators where necessary for arrangements you request or accept.
• Relevant participants for business introductions or meeting coordination that you request or agree to.
• Authorities where disclosure is required by applicable law or a valid legal process.

We limit sharing to information needed for the stated purpose. Sponsorship or support of STTF does not automatically provide access to participant contact lists.

We do not sell personal information. Publishing personal contact details in a participant directory or sharing them for another organisation's independent marketing requires separate permission.

6. Third-party services and WhatsApp

Our website or communications may direct you to third-party services, such as registration forms, payment services, maps or WhatsApp. Their own privacy policies apply to information they process.

Joining an STTF WhatsApp group is voluntary. Your phone number and some profile information may be visible to other group members, depending on WhatsApp's features and your settings. You may contact us directly if you prefer not to join a group.

Leaving a group does not automatically delete information previously submitted through registration forms or other channels.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

Our website uses cookies and comparable local-storage technologies in two categories. Some are strictly necessary to operate and secure the website and cannot be switched off through the on-site control described below.

Others are optional and are used only to understand how visitors engage with the site and to measure the reach of our promotional activity. These optional technologies remain inactive until you give clear, affirmative permission through the preference banner shown on the website — they are never activated automatically.

You can accept or decline the optional technologies when the banner appears. Declining keeps them switched off and has no effect on your ability to browse the website, read about STTF or submit an enquiry.

You may change this choice at any time by opening "Cookie preferences" in the website's footer, whether you previously accepted or declined.

Your choice is remembered on the device and browser you used to make it, not in a separate record held on our servers. Clearing your browser's stored data, switching devices or browsing privately will reset this choice, and the banner may appear again.

Where active, optional technologies of this kind may collect information such as the pages you view, how you interact with them, and identifiers associated with your browser or device, generally used to measure the effectiveness of our promotional activity. Such technologies are typically provided by third parties, whose own privacy practices govern the information they process, in the same way described for other third-party services in Section 6.

You can also manage cookies directly through your browser settings. Disabling strictly necessary cookies may affect how parts of the website function.

8. Storage and security

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect personal information and restrict access to authorised people who need it for their work.

Service providers may process information in India or other countries. Where relevant, we will apply safeguards and restrictions required by applicable law.

No website or electronic transmission can be guaranteed completely secure. If a personal-data breach occurs, we will take appropriate action and provide notifications where legally required.

9. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including event coordination, related follow-up, accounting, resolving disputes and applicable recordkeeping obligations.

When information is no longer needed, we will delete it or anonymise it. Where a deletion request cannot be fully met because records must be retained, we will explain the reason.

10. Your requests and concerns

You may contact us to:

• Ask about our use of your personal information.
• Request access to information you provided.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete details.
• Request deletion of information no longer needed.
• Withdraw consent or stop optional promotional messages.
• Raise a privacy concern or complaint.

We may ask for proportionate verification before acting on a request. We will respond within applicable legal time limits and explain any restrictions affecting your request. Statutory rights apply to the extent provided by laws in force.

11. Children's information

Our online trade registration services are intended for adults aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect children's personal information through these forms.

If a separate student or minor participation programme is offered, its information requirements and any necessary parent or guardian consent will be explained separately.

Please contact us if you believe a child has submitted personal information through our general forms.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our website, services or information-handling practices change. The revised policy will appear on this page with an updated date. Material changes will be communicated, and fresh consent requested, where required.

13. Contact us

For privacy questions, requests or complaints, contact the STTF Organising Team:

• Email: [email protected]
• Email subject: STTF Privacy Request
• Sagar: +91 9002013177
• Dorjee: +91 8944014912
• Location: Gangtok, Sikkim, India
• Website: sikkimtravelfair.com