Fair Cancellation, Refund & Rescheduling Policy

1. Purpose & Scope

This policy applies to bookings made directly with Vista Zanzibar Tours & Safaris through the website, the Vista reservations team, or another direct Vista sales channel, unless a booking is clearly marked as having Special Cancellation Conditions.

The policy is designed to be clear before payment, consistent after payment, and fair when plans change for either the guest or Vista.

2. Standard Cancellation Policy

How time is calculated: the deadline is measured from the confirmed tour start or pickup time shown in the booking confirmation, using Zanzibar local time.

3. Date Changes / Rescheduling

• One free date change is allowed when Vista is notified at least 24 hours before the confirmed start time.
• The new date is subject to availability and should normally be for the same service or an equivalent service agreed by Vista.
• If the new service costs more, the guest pays the difference. If it costs less, Vista will apply the appropriate adjustment in line with the booking conditions.
• A second voluntary date change may be treated as a cancellation and rebooking, unless Vista agrees otherwise.
• Requests made inside 24 hours are not guaranteed, but Vista may approve a reschedule where operationally possible and fair.

4. Weather, Natural Events & Safety

Guest safety takes priority over keeping an itinerary unchanged. Severe weather, unsafe sea conditions, storms, flooding, natural disasters, public-health emergencies, government restrictions, closure of parks or attractions, civil disturbances, or similar events outside the reasonable control of Vista and its suppliers may require a service to be changed, delayed, rescheduled or cancelled.

4.1 If Vista cannot safely operate the service before it starts

For an ordinary Vista excursion where the service cannot reasonably be provided, the guest will be offered a choice of a free reschedule to another available date or a refund of the eligible amount.

For special services involving flights, hotels, park fees, permits or other non-refundable supplier commitments, Vista will refund all recoverable amounts. Any genuine unrecoverable third-party cost may be deducted only where it was clearly applicable to that booking and can be explained to the guest.

4.2 If the tour has already started

If a service has started but must stop early for safety or an unavoidable external event, Vista will assess what was actually delivered and offer a fair remedy. Depending on the circumstances, this may be a free reschedule of the undelivered part, a credit toward another Vista experience, a fair partial refund, or an equivalent alternative experience accepted by the guest. A full refund is not automatic where a substantial part of the service has already been delivered.

4.3 Ordinary weather changes

Cloud, light rain or other ordinary weather changes do not automatically cancel a tour if Vista and the responsible operator consider the activity safe and reasonably deliverable. Where conditions become unsafe or materially prevent the promised experience, the safety provisions above apply.

5. Cancellation by Vista

If Vista cancels a confirmed service for an operational reason within Vista's reasonable control, the guest may choose a full refund of the affected Vista service or a free reschedule. Where a suitable equivalent alternative is available, Vista may offer it, but the guest is not required to accept a materially different service.

6. Special Services & Supplier Costs

Safaris, domestic flights, ferries, hotels, park fees, permits, special boats and other supplier-controlled services may carry their own cancellation rules. These bookings must be marked clearly as Special Cancellation Conditions Apply before the guest pays. Where such a booking is cancelled, Vista will distinguish between recoverable funds and genuine non-refundable third-party costs already committed to a supplier and not recoverable by Vista. Vista should be able to explain such deductions reasonably.

7. Illness, Emergency & Compassionate Review

A cancellation inside 24 hours is normally non-refundable. However, for genuine illness, accident or serious personal emergency, Vista may offer a one-time reschedule, credit or other reasonable solution, subject to availability and any genuine supplier costs already incurred. This is a discretionary fairness review and is not an automatic cash-refund entitlement.

8. Late Arrival & No-Show

• Guests should be ready at the confirmed pickup or meeting time and should contact Vista as soon as they know they may be late.
• Vista will make reasonable efforts to accommodate short delays where this does not unfairly affect other guests, staff or supplier schedules.
• Significant lateness that causes the guest to miss the service or makes the service impractical to operate may be treated as a no-show.
• A delay caused by Vista, its driver, guide or confirmed supplier will not be treated as guest lateness.

9. Changes to an Itinerary by Vista

Vista may make reasonable operational changes to routes, sequence, pickup arrangements or timing where needed for safety, weather, access or service quality. If the change materially reduces the core value of what the guest purchased, Vista will provide an appropriate alternative, credit or refund adjustment.

10. Refund Processing

• Approved refunds should be returned to the original payment method where reasonably possible.
• Vista will initiate an approved refund promptly after approval. The time for the funds to appear depends on the payment provider, bank, card issuer or mobile-money operator.
• Any payment-provider charge that is legally non-refundable should be disclosed where it materially affects the amount returned. Vista should not add undisclosed refund penalties.
• Where a refund involves special supplier costs, Vista will communicate the calculation clearly to the guest.

11. Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

Guests are encouraged to contact Vista first if they believe a payment or refund is incorrect. Vista will review the booking, payment record and service history promptly. This does not remove any lawful right a guest may have to raise a dispute with a bank or payment provider.

12. Policy Acceptance at Checkout

Before online payment, Vista shows the guest a short summary and requires an unticked acceptance checkbox. The CRM stores the policy version, date/time accepted, and booking reference so the terms accepted at the time of purchase remain auditable.

13. Transparency & Non-Excludable Rights

If any part of this policy conflicts with a mandatory legal right that cannot be excluded, the applicable law will prevail. Vista will aim to resolve disputes transparently and in good faith, using the booking record, payment history, service status and supplier evidence where relevant.

14. Contact