Privacy Policy

Welcome to Holocene ("we", "us", "our"). We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and protect your personal data when you visit our website (www.holocenetravel.com) or use our travel itinerary planning services.

For the purpose of UK data protection laws, the Data Controller is Holocene.

1. The Data We Collect About You

To design your personalized travel itineraries, we collect and process several types of personal information:

  • Identity and Contact Data: Your name, email address, phone number, and billing address.

  • Trip Inquiry Data: Your answers to our travel questionnaire, including preferred destinations, travel dates, travel style, and approximate budget.

  • Special Category Data: With your explicit consent, we may collect details regarding dietary requirements (which may reveal religious or philosophical beliefs) or health/medical requirements (to ensure your safety and accessibility during physically challenging travel).

  • Transaction Data: Details of payments made for our services (e.g., our Silver tier service). Note: We do not store credit card details; payments are processed securely through our third-party merchant processor.

  • Technical Data: Your IP address, browser type, and how you interact with our website.

2. How and Why We Use Your Personal Data

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we use your data under the following legal bases:

  1. Performance of a Contract: To deliver the personalized itinerary services you purchased (Silver Tier) or to take steps to quote and design your custom itinerary (Gold Tier).

  2. Consent: When you explicitly fill out our travel questionnaire or provide details about special dietary/medical needs.

  3. Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, correspond with you, and manage our business securely.

  4. Legal Obligation: Where we must comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

3. How We Share Your Data

We do not sell your personal data. We only share your information with trusted third parties necessary to run our business and deliver your trip designs:

  • Service Providers: Secure tools we use to manage our website (Squarespace), send emails, process payments, and store itineraries.

  • Legal Requirements: If required by law, we may share information with regulatory authorities or law enforcement.

4. International Transfers

If you are traveling internationally, we may need to transfer some of your trip coordination details to suppliers or homestay hosts outside of the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area (EEA) to facilitate your bookings. We ensure all such transfers comply with UK data protection laws.

5. Your Legal Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

  • Correction: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Erasure (The "Right to be Forgotten"): You can ask us to delete your personal data, provided we don't have a legal obligation or contract requirement to keep it.

  • Withdraw Consent: Where we rely on your consent to process your data (such as sensitive dietary or health notes), you can withdraw it at any time.

6. Data Protection Complaints Process

Under the Data (Use and Access) Act, you have a specific right to complain about how your data is handled.

If you have a concern or complaint, please contact us directly at [Insert Your Business Email Address, e.g., hello@holocenetravel.com].

  • We will formally acknowledge receipt of your data protection complaint within 30 days.

  • We will investigate and keep you updated on our progress without undue delay.

  • If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) (www.ico.org.uk).

7. How to Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us: