Cancellation & Refund Policy

For any tour, flight, hotel, visa, forex or any other related service or package, the services are booked or blocked several months in advance. Cancellation of such services earmarked for a particular departure results in forfeiture of money depending upon the time of cancellation with the supplier. Any cancellation of the tour/service booked will attract cancellation charges as specified hereafter.

Your tour may also include third-party products or services such as airline, cruise, railway, transport, hotel, restaurant, caterer or sightseeing company. The Terms & Conditions and Cancellation Policy of such third parties will be applicable in addition to this policy. This Cancellation Policy applies to all guests of Vandana Travel Experts booked for Group Tours, Customized Holidays, MICE Tours, Inbound Holidays, VISA, FOREX, Flight Booking, Insurance or any independent service.

The request for cancellation of any service/tour has to be submitted in writing, clearly stating the reason for cancellation, via email to Vandana Travel Experts at vtefinancetv@gmail.com, from the guest's registered email ID. Once the booking is cancelled, it cannot be reinstated; any reversal/re-booking will be treated as a fresh booking and additional charges may apply. All guests expressly agree to the foregoing policy and terms.

Cancellation done by / for / due to

a. Guest cancels the tour due to any personal reason

• After booking, a guest may have a personal reason such as non-sanction of leave, exam postponement, illness or family emergency leading to cancellation of the tour/package.
• The date of the cancellation-request email sent by the guest (unless the decision is withheld or changed) will be considered the date of cancellation, and the cancellation charge will apply accordingly.

b. Force majeure / uncontrollable factors (tour postponed but guest chooses to cancel)

• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to cancel, postpone or reschedule any tour under a force majeure situation (natural calamity, epidemic, pandemic, terrorist activity, political unrest, curfews, riots, government orders) or uncontrollable factors (airline schedule change, disruption due to political/sports/local/VIP events) considering the safety of tourists.
• Under such situations, no refund — fully or partially — will be applicable. The guest will be required to choose the next possible future date of the same tour. Any price difference for the future tour is payable before departure.
• To reschedule, Vandana Travel Experts will request cooperation from associates (airlines, hoteliers, transporters). If they cannot accommodate, actual cancellation charges may apply.
• If the guest wishes to change the destination, it depends on associate cooperation; any higher price is payable before departure, and any lower price is kept in a credit shell (no refund is applicable for the credit shell).

c. Guest cancels due to non-acceptance of a change in itinerary / service

• For betterment or under unforeseen situations, Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to add/delete/exchange sightseeing places or any other service, and the guest cannot withdraw from the tour on this ground.
• If additional sightseeing/service requires extra charge, it is to be paid by the guest.
• If the guest is not willing to accept the change and cancels, cancellation charges as per this policy will apply.

d. Deemed cancellation — visa rejection / delay

• Rejection/delay of visa leads to deemed cancellation and the booking stands cancelled without any intimation.
• The visa rejection date will be considered the date of cancellation.
• The guest may re-apply by paying additional visa charges; granting of visa is at the discretion of the respective Consulate.
• In case of group booking, if an individual's visa is rejected/delayed and the rest of the group cancels, cancellation charges apply to the entire group.
• Where air ticket/visa is processed more than 91 days in advance, additional actual charges on account of air/visa fees will apply along with regular cancellation charges.

e. Deemed cancellation — non-payment of partial / full tour price

• The guest must pay the full tour price at the time of booking / 60 days / 45 days prior to departure as applicable. If payment is not received in the mentioned time frame, Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to cancel the booking without written notice and forfeit the paid amount. For Antarctica tours, VISAs and Business Class flight tickets, the price must be paid in full 90 days before departure.

f. Deemed cancellation — 'No show' or absence on Day 1

• If a guest fails to join the tour on day one, it is termed a 'No Show' and no refund is applicable.
• All services stand cancelled and 100% cancellation charges apply, unless the guest notifies Vandana Travel Experts about joining the same tour later at their own expense.

g. Discontinuation from ongoing tour

• If a guest discontinues/terminates the tour for any personal reason, it is termed a deemed cancellation and no refund is applicable. The team will assist in booking required services, but all such expenses are to be paid by the guest in advance.

h. Single (Solo) guest sharing a room, cancels

• Single guests should ideally book speciality tours (Women's Special, Seniors Special, Adventure Special) where a room partner is guaranteed and the single-occupancy charge is saved.
• If a single guest travels alone on a regular tour, they pay the single-occupancy charge. If a similar-gender room partner shares the twin/double room for all tour days, the single-occupancy charge is refunded within 10 working days of tour completion.
• In case of cancellation by one of the room-sharing partners, no refund of single-occupancy charge is applicable.

i. Cancellation charges applicable on Net Tour Price (per person)

• j. The above cancellation charges include various direct and indirect expenses incurred for preparation and operation of the tour.
• k. Vandana Travel Experts is not liable to give any details or bifurcation of the tour price or the cancellation charge.
• l. Any refund payable to the guest as per the Cancellation Policy will be paid within 10–45 working days of receiving the final confirmation of the cancellation request from the guest.

Cancellation of the tour by Vandana Travel Experts

• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to cancel any group tour/package due to any operational reason or inadequate participation. In such a case, cancellation shall be communicated to the guest on their registered email/telephone/SMS.
• The amount paid by the guest will be refunded within 10–30 working days of cancellation of the tour.
• The refund will be paid by A/C payee cheque / NEFT / RTGS.
• Vandana Travel Experts will not be liable to pay any interest on the tour amount paid by the guest.
• Vandana Travel Experts owes no responsibility for any additional expense related to any other arrangements made by the guest on their own.
• A guest willing to take any other tour can do so in consultation with the respective Travel Advisor; excess/short payment for the new tour will be refunded/collected accordingly.

Right of Admission and Termination

• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to deny any booking or cancel an accepted booking without divulging any reason, including ensuring the appropriateness of group composition based on the nature of the tour.
• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to terminate the tour of any guest while on tour if the guest does not follow group-tour decorum or misbehaves/creates nuisance. Under such circumstances the guest must arrange their own return travel and no refund is applicable.

Transfer of Tour

• If guests wish to transfer their original tour to a new tour for any reason, such transfer is treated as a cancellation of the original tour (with applicable cancellation charges), and a fresh booking of the new tour at prevailing price and discounts has to be made.
• Transfer requests must be communicated in writing to the Travel Advisor and are subject to availability.

Merging of Tours

• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to merge two or multiple tours when there is inadequate participation or for any operational reason. Seat allocation in the coach will be as per the booking-date priority of the merged tours.

Refund

• Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to determine the quantum of refund payable in case of cancellation, transfer or amendment. Refund is calculated on the basis of factors such as cancellation date, reduction in tour capacity, contractual agreements and cancellation policies of associates. The decision on the quantum of refund shall be final and paid directly to the guest.
• As per GOI regulations, any refund for both Indian or International tours will be paid only in Indian rupees by A/C payee cheque / NEFT / RTGS, even if payment was made partly or fully in foreign currency.
• Refund is always processed in the name of the primary booking contact on the booking form, or the institution/company for ad-hoc/corporate group bookings.
• Vandana Travel Experts is not liable to pay any interest on the tour amount paid.
• Convenience charge for payments made by credit card, debit card, online transfer etc. is non-refundable.
• Tax Collected at Source (TCS) for international tours is non-refundable as it is deposited with the Income Tax Department against the guest's registered PAN; it can be claimed by the guest while filing their annual Income Tax Returns.
• In case of force majeure / uncontrollable situations, Vandana Travel Experts reserves the right to levy a non-refundable 'tour transfer charge' or 'service charge' for standalone services.