Privacy Policy - The Backpacker Hub

BACKGROUND:

We understand that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website, www.thebackpackerhub.com. (“Our Website”, “Our Site”) and will only collect and use personal data in a way that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the law.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully and ensure that you understand it. Your acceptance of this Privacy Policy is requested at the point you start using Our Website.

Definitions and Interpretation

In this Policy the following terms shall have the following meanings:

“Account”	means an account required to access and/or use certain areas and features of Our Site;
“Cookie”	means a small text file placed on your computer or device by Our Site when you visit certain parts of OurSite and/or when you use certain features of OurSite. Details of the Cookies used by Our Site are set out in Part 14, below; and
“Cookie Law”	means the relevant parts of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, the UKGDPR 2021, and the UK Data Protection Act.

Information About Us

Our Site is owned and operated by The Backpacker Hub Ltd., who’s registered office is located at 34 Templeton Drive, Fearnhead, Warrington, WA2 0WR, United Kingdom. Company Number 15997193.

If needed, you can contact our FAO Data Protection Officer through info@thebackpackerhub.com.

What Does This Policy Cover?

2.1 This Privacy Policy applies only to your use of Our Website (“Site”). To use Our Services and make any booking, you must be aged over 18 years old. OurSite may contain links to other websites. Please note that wehave no control over how your data is collected, stored, or used by such third-party websites and we advise you to check the privacy policies of any such websites before providing any data to them.

What Is Personal Data?

3.1 Personal data is defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (EU Regulation 2016/679) (the “GDPR” and now also incorporated into UK Law as “The UKGDPR 2021”) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018 (collectively, “the Data Protection Legislation”) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified in particular by reference to an identifier’.

Personal data is, in simpler terms, any information about you that enables you to be identified. Personal data covers obvious information such as your name and contact details, but it also covers less obvious information such as identification numbers, electronic location data, and other online identifiers.

What Are My Rights?

4.1 Under the Data Protection Legislation, you have the following rights, which wewill always work to uphold:

The right to be informed about our collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Policy should tell you everything you need to know, but you can always contact us to find out more or to ask any questions.
The right to access the personal data we hold about you. This policy will tell you how to do this.
The right to have your personal data rectified if any of your personal data held by us is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to be forgotten, i.e. the right to ask us to delete or otherwise dispose of any of your personal data that we hold.
The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data.
The right to object to us using your personal data for a particular purpose or purposes.
The right to withdraw consent. This means that, if we are relying on your consent as the legal basis for using your personal data, you are free to withdraw that consent at any time.
The right to data portability. This means that, if you have provided personal data to us directly, we areusing it with your consent or for the performance of a contract, and that data is processed using automated means, you can ask us for a copy of that personal data to re-use with another service or business in many cases.
Rights relating to automated decision-making and profiling. We do not use your personal data in this way.

For more information about our use of your personal data or exercising your rights as outlined above, please contact us.

4.2 It is important that your personal data is kept accurate and up to date. If any of the personal data wehold about you changes, please keep us informed as long as We have that data.

4.3 Further information about your rights can also be obtained from the Information Commissioner’s Office or your local Citizens or Consumer Advice Bureau.

4.4 If you are located in the United Kingdom or European Union, you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

4.5 We would welcome the opportunity to resolve your concerns ourselves, so please contact us first.

What Data Do You Collect and How?

5.1 Depending upon your use of Our Site, wemay collect and hold some or all of the personal and non-personal data set out in the table below. Please also see out tables for more information about our use of Cookies and similar technologies and our Cookie Policy. We do not usually collect any ‘special category’ or ‘sensitive’ personal data relating to children. Where we do, this will be shown in our legitimate purposes. We do not usually collect or process data relating to criminal convictions and/or offences, unless these are specifically required as a form of declaration for certain country entry and visa requirements.

Type of Data Collected	How We Collect the Data
Identity Information including name, title or salutation, DOB, address.	Via your emailing us or making a booking with us.
Contact information including address, email address and phone number.	Via your contacting us or opening any account with us. And, also for processing bookings.
Submission of any personal documents	Via the submission button on our website or by email where indicated. This is a direct interaction via Our site and/or with us.
Profile information including interests, browsing history, transaction details, preferences and login details.	Via your use of our website.
Technical information including IP address, browser type, browsing history.	Via the cookies placed in our site. Some are temporary some are permanent.
Data from third-parties including mailing and marketing preferences.	Via the cookies placed on our website and associated links.

How Do You Use My Personal Data?

6.1 Under the Data Protection Legislation, we must always have a lawful basis for using personal data. The following table describes how wemay use your personal data, and our lawful bases for doing so:

What We Do	What Data We Use	Our Lawful Basis
Registering you on Our Site.	Personal details to identify you.	To ensure that only valid and genuine users are registered and to prevent fraud or spam.
Providing and managing your booking.	Your preferences and personal details.	To ensure that we provide information to suit your needs and allow you to submit information.
Providing and managing your access to Site.	Any given personal login details.	To provide our services to you and ensure integrity in any use.
Personalising and tailoring your experience on ourSite.	Managing your preferences and opt-in/out wishes.	To make sure that you receive only information that is beneficial or of interest to you.
Processing any information considered sensitive data, ie health information, such as pre-existing medical conditions, vaccination status, disability, medication that requires refrigeration, food allergies or religious needs.	Processing such information or data as shown, including relating to children (under 18 years). Some of which is considered sensitive information or special category data under relevant data protection laws	This is by explicit consent (special category data) via your submissions of any forms or data via our website or by email.
Administering Our Site.	Your Account details.	To provide our services and enhance your experience.
Administering our business.	All of the above.	To ensure we are compliant with the appropriate regulations regarding record keeping, accounting and Privacy/ Data Management.
Supplying you with information by email and Post that you have opted into (you may opt-out at any time by letting us know or managing your own preferences.	All of the above.	To ensure our services comply with our mission and also our obligations under law.

Financial Data & Payment Processing

6.1.1 We work with third-party service providers and payment gateways (such as Stripe) to process payments for bookings, tours, and related travel services. These providers may share payment details with us to facilitate the administration and management of your reservations or tours. All third-party payment providers we work with are required to comply with PCI DSS standards and handle payments securely on our behalf.

6.2 In most cases, payments for tours or travel services will be processed through a secure online booking platform. Occasionally, credit card details may be provided over the phone—for example, in cases where The Backpacker Hub Ltd needs to issue a refund. Any bank details collected for refund purposes will be securely handled and used solely for processing the refund.

6.3 To protect your financial information, we kindly request that you never send payment card details via email or other written correspondence to us or any of our partners.

6.4 Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party vendors, including payment processors. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these vendors to understand how your personal information is managed and protected.

6.5 The taking of Photos and Videos by Us: By booking a trip with The Backpacker Hub Ltd, you acknowledge and consent to the possibility of photos or videos being taken during the trip by our team, including trip leaders or professional photographers. These photos and videos may be used by The Backpacker Hub Ltd for promotional and marketing purposes, including but not limited to social media, website content, video, general advertising and brochures.

6.5.1 You grant us an exclusive, perpetual worldwide licence to use such footage and images and waive all intellectual property rights in them. You will have the opportunity to opt out of being included in any photos or videos taken for such purposes, and we will respect your decision, as your comfort and privacy remain our priority at all times.

6.5.2 While we take all reasonable steps to respect your privacy, we cannot be held responsible for fellow travellers who may photograph or film you without our knowledge or permission.

6.6 Email, Direct Contact & Marketing preferences: With your permission and/or where permitted by law, wemay also use your personal data for marketing purposes, which may include contacting you by email, text message or post with information, news, and offers on our products and services. You will not be sent any unlawful marketing or spam. As we are based within the UK, we will always work to fully protect your rights and comply with our obligations under the Data Protection Legislation and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, The UKGDPR and other applicable Data Protection Regulations.

6.6.1 You will always have the opportunity to opt-out. Wewill always obtain your express opt-in consent before sharing your personal data with any third-parties for marketing purposes and you will also be able to opt-out at any time.

6.6.2 In some circumstances, where permitted or required by law, we may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent. This is where we are obliged to release your data to appropriate government or police bodies, for the purposes of crime prevention and fraud detection. This will only be done within the bounds of the Data Protection Legislation and your legal rights.

6.7 Children’s Privacy: Our website and services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from those under 18 years. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has shared their personal information with us, please contact us immediately so we can take appropriate action.

How Long Will You Keep My Personal Data?

7.1 We will not keep your personal data for any longer than is necessary in light of the reason(s) for which it was first collected. Your personal data will therefore be kept for the following periods (or, where there is no fixed period, the following factors will be used to determine how long it is kept):

Type of Data	How Long We Keep It
Identity Information	For a period of up to 3 years.
Contact information	For a period of up to 3 years.
Financial information including any purchases or transactions with us.	For a period of up to 7 years.
Payment information	For a period of up to 7 years.
Profile or account information	For a period of up to 3 years.
Technical information	For a period of up to 3 years.

How and Where Do You Store or Transfer My Personal Data?

8.1 We will usuallyonly store or transfer your personal data within the UK. This means that it will be fully protected under the UK’s Data Protection Legislation.

8.2 Weoccasionally may have to store or transfer your personal datastore or transfer some of your personal data within the European Economic Area (the “EEA”). The EEA consists of all EU member states, plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This means that your personal data will be fully protected under the Data Protection Legislation, GDPR, and/or to equivalent standards by law.

8.3 Our Website ensures that personal data is protected by requiring any companies within our group to follow the same rules with respect to personal data usage. These are known as “binding corporate rules”.

8.4 The security of your personal data is essential to us, and to protect your data, we take a number of important measures, including the following:

limiting access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors, and other third parties with a legitimate need to know and ensuring that they are subject to duties of confidentiality.
procedures for dealing with data breaches (the accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure of, or access to, your personal data) including notifying you and/or the Information Commissioner’s Office where we are legally required to do so.

Do You Share My Personal Data?

9.1 We will not share any of your personal data with any third-parties for any purposes, subject to the following exceptions.

9.2 If we need to pass on your information to our tour suppliers or participation partners, or other travel arrangement providers, and in particular the following;

9.2.1 Internal Staff and Contractors: Employees and contractors, including local group leaders.

9.2.2 Overseas Partners and Tour Operators: Partners involved in organizing and operating your trip.

9.2.3 Travel Providers: Airlines, transport companies, and other travel-related providers.

9.2.4 Third-Party Operators and Suppliers: Local operators, hotels, transfer services, couriers, mailing houses, and payment processors.

9.3 If we sell, transfer, or merge parts of our business or assets, your personal data may be transferred to a third party. Any new owner of our business may continue to use your personal data in the same way(s) that we have used it, as specified in this Privacy Policy.

9.4 In some limited circumstances, we may be legally required to share certain personal data, which might include yours, if we are involved in legal proceedings or complying with legal obligations, such as a court order, or the instructions of a government or police authority.

How Can I Control My Personal Data?
- 10.1 In addition to your rights under the Data Protection Legislation, set out in section 5, whenyou submit personal data via Our Site, you may be given options to restrict our use of your personal data. In particular, we aim to give you strong controls on our use of your data for direct marketing purposes (including the ability to opt-out of receiving emails from us which you may do by unsubscribing using the links provided in our emailsandat the point of providing your details and by managing your Account.
- 10.2 If you are in the UK, you may also wish to sign up to one or more of the preference services operating in the UK: The Telephone Preference Service (“the TPS”), the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (“the CTPS”), and the Mailing Preference Service (“the MPS”). These may help to prevent you receiving unsolicited marketing. Please note, however, that these services will not prevent you from receiving marketing communications from Us that you have consented to receiving.

Can I Withhold Information?

11.1 You may access certain areas of Our Site without providing any personal data at all. However, to use all features and functions available on Our Site you may be required to submit or allow for the collection of certain data. You can withhold submission of any data at any time, but our service may not function correctly if you do, such as provision of required information to complete your booking with us.

You may restrict our use of Cookies. For more information, see our Cookie Policy in Section 13.

How Can I Access My Personal Data?

12.1 If you want to know what personal data we hold about you, you can ask us for details of that personal data and for a copy of it (where any such personal data is held). This is known as a “subject access request”. There is no fee for this disclosure request.

12.2 All subject access requests should be made in writing and sent to the email or postal addresses shown in Part 14. To make this as easy as possible for you, a Subject Access Request Form is available for you to use upon request. You do not have to use this form, but it is the easiest way to tell us everything we need to know to respond to your request as quickly as possible.

12.3 There is not normally any charge for a subject access request. However, if your request is ‘manifestly unfounded or excessive’ (for example, if you make repetitive requests) a fee of £50.00 may be charged to cover our administrative costs in responding.

12.4 We will respond to your subject access request within 14 days and, in any case, not more than one month of receiving it. Normally, we aim to provide a complete response, including a copy of your personal data within that time. In some cases, however, particularly if your request is more complex, more time may be required up to a maximum of three months from the date we receive your request. You will be kept fully informed of our progress.

How Do You Use Cookies?

13.1 Our Site may place and access certain first-party Cookies on your computer or device. First-party Cookies are those placed directly by us and are used only by us. We use Cookies to facilitate and improve your experience of Our Site and to provide and improve our products and services. We have carefully chosen these Cookies and have taken steps to ensure that your privacy and personal data is protected and respected at all times.

13.2 All Cookies used by and on Our Site are used in accordance with current Cookie Law. Before Cookies are placed on your computer or device, you will be shown a Consent Pop-Up requesting your consent to set those Cookies. By giving your consent to the placing of Cookies you are enabling us to provide the best possible experience and service to you. You may, if you wish, deny consent to the placing of Cookies; however certain features of Our Site may not function fully or as intended. You will be given the opportunity to allow only first-party Cookies and block third-party Cookies.

13.3 Certain features of Our Site depend on Cookies to function. Cookie Law deems these Cookies to be “strictly necessary”. These Cookies are shown in the table below. Your consent will not be sought to place these Cookies, but it is still important that you are aware of them. You may still block these Cookies by changing your internet browser’s settings as detailed below, but please be aware that Our Site may not work properly if you do so. We have taken great care to ensure that your privacy is not at risk by allowing them.

13.4 OurSite uses analytics services provided by Google. Website analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling Us to better understand how Our Site is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve Our Site and the products and services offered through it.

13.4 The analytics service(s) used by Our Site use(s) Cookies to gather the required information. You do not have to allow usto use these Cookies, however whilst ouruse of them does not pose any risk to your privacy or your safe use of Our Site, it does enable us to continually improve Our Site, making it a better and more useful experience for you.

13.6 In addition to the controls that we provide, you can choose to enable or disable Cookies in your internet browser. Most internet browsers also enable you to choose whether you wish to disable all Cookies or only third-party Cookies. By default, most internet browsers accept Cookies, but this can be changed. For further details, please consult the help menu in your internet browser or the documentation that came with your device.

13.7 You can choose to delete Cookies on your computer or device at any time, however you may lose any information that enables you to access Our Site more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, login and personalisation settings.

13.8 It is recommended that you keep your internet browser and operating system up-to-date and that you consult the help and guidance provided by the developer of your internet browser and manufacturer of your computer or device if you are unsure about adjusting your privacy settings.

13.9 Third-Party Widgets, Social Media, Pixel and Advertising Cookies

13.9.1 You should be aware that links to Our Social Media Channels may come with tracking cookies or pixel risks. These are used by Companies such as Google, Bing, Facebook (Meta), Instagram, ‘X’ and TikTok, and these pixels may track your data for their own advertising purposes.

13.9.2 Certain services on our website may include widgets or social media features, such as the Facebook “Like” button or similar tools. These features may also collect information such as your IP address, the pages you visit on our site, and may use cookies to function correctly. Such widgets and features may be hosted either directly on our website or by a third party, and your interactions with these tools are governed by the privacy policies of the respective providers.

13.9.3 If you wish to disable such pixels or widgets you are referred to the individual platform’s settings page where you may be able to disable them. We accept no liability or responsibility for the tracking consequences from such platforms.

How Do I Contact You?

14.1 To contact us about anything to do with your personal data and data protection, including to make a subject access request, please use the following details (for the attention of “The Controller of Data”):

Email address: info@thebackpackerhub.com

Postal Address: As shown earlier in this Policy.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy.

15.1 We may change this Privacy Notice from time to time. This may be necessary, for example, if the law changes, or if we change our business in a way that affects personal data protection.

15.2 Any changes will be immediately posted on Our Website and you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Privacy Policy on your first use of Our Site following the alterations. We recommend that you check this page regularly to keep up to date.

This Privacy Policy was last updated on 6^th May 2025.