Privacy Policy

1. About us and this policy

At Kernara, we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and share your personal information when you visit our website, make an enquiry, book a tour, or otherwise interact with us.

Kernara is a trading name of PATWT Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17067312, with its registered office at Pixel, Causewayhead, Penzance, Cornwall, England, TR18 2SP.

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation — including the UK Data Protection Act 2018, the UK General Data Protection Regulation (“UK GDPR”), and the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“EU GDPR”) — we are the data controller responsible for your personal data.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal information, please contact us:

2. Personal information we collect

We may collect and use the following categories of personal information:

2.1 Enquiries and brochure requests

When you make an enquiry, request our brochure, or sign up for our newsletter, we collect:

• Name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Country of residence
• Details of destinations and tours you are interested in
• Any additional information you choose to provide

2.2 Bookings

When you or another member of your party books a tour with us, we will also collect:

• Full name (as it appears on passport, where applicable)
• Postal address
• Date of birth
• Passport details (where applicable)
• Emergency contact information
• Travel insurance details
• Dietary requirements and food allergies
• Medical conditions, mobility issues or accessibility needs
• Special requests or preferences
• Payment information (processed securely — see clause 7)

2.3 Website usage

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain technical information including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device type
• Pages visited and time spent on each page
• Referring website or source
• Date and time of access

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. Please see our Cookie Policy (clause 9) for more details.

2.4 Communications

If you contact us by email, telephone, social media or other means, we may keep records of that correspondence.

2.5 Marketing

If you subscribe to our email communications, we collect your name and email address, and may record your engagement with our emails (e.g. whether you open an email or click a link).

3. How we use your information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

3.1 To provide our services

• To respond to your enquiries and provide you with information about our tours
• To process and manage your booking
• To arrange your tour, including making reservations with accommodation providers, restaurants and other suppliers on your behalf
• To communicate with you before, during and after your tour
• To provide you with travel documentation and itineraries

Legal basis: Performance of a contract with you, or taking steps at your request prior to entering into a contract.

3.2 To send you marketing communications

• To send you our newsletter, journal updates, seasonal inspiration and tour availability
• To send you information about tours, offers and content that may be of interest to you

Legal basis: Where required by law, we rely on your consent. Where you are an existing customer, we may rely on our legitimate interests to send you marketing about similar services. You can opt out of marketing at any time (see clause 6).

3.3 To improve our website and services

• To analyse how visitors use our website in order to improve its functionality, content and user experience
• To measure the effectiveness of our marketing
• To conduct customer research and feedback surveys

Legal basis: Legitimate interests (improving our services and understanding our customers).

3.4 To comply with legal obligations

• To comply with applicable laws, regulations and legal processes
• To keep financial records for tax and accounting purposes
• To exercise or defend legal claims

Legal basis: Legal obligation or legitimate interests.

4. How we share your information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 Tour suppliers

To arrange and deliver your tour, we will share relevant personal information with our suppliers, including accommodation providers, restaurants, transport providers and activity operators. We will only share the information necessary for them to provide the services included in your tour.

4.2 Service providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to help us run our business, including but not limited to:

• ActiveCampaign — for email marketing and CRM
• Calendly — for travel consultations via phone or video
• Stripe — for secure payment processing
• Google Analytics — for website analytics

These providers may process your data on our behalf and are contractually required to keep it secure and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.3 Professional advisers

We may share your information with our legal, accounting and insurance advisers where necessary.

4.4 Legal requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation or legal process, or to protect our rights, property or safety, or that of our customers or others.

4.5 Business transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

5. International transfers of your data

5.1 Transfers outside the UK

Kernara is based in the United Kingdom. Some of our suppliers and service providers may be located outside the UK and the European Economic Area (“EEA”). Where we transfer your personal data outside the UK/EEA, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including:

• Transfers to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of data protection by the UK government or European Commission;
• Use of standard contractual clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office or the European Commission; or
• Other lawful transfer mechanisms.

5.2 United States and Canada

As we serve customers in the United States and Canada, some of your personal data may be processed in those countries. Our service providers in the US and Canada are contractually required to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection standards.

6. Your rights

You have the following rights in relation to your personal information. These rights may be subject to certain exceptions and limitations under applicable law.

6.1 Rights under UK GDPR / EU GDPR

If you are located in the UK or EEA, you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Erasure — request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it.
• Restriction — request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Data portability — request a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection — object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests, including objecting to direct marketing at any time.
• Withdraw consent — where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing prior to withdrawal.

6.2 How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

We will respond to your request within one month (or within the timeframe required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

6.3 Right to complain

If you believe we have not handled your personal data properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:

UK: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

• Website: https://ico.org.uk/
• Telephone: +44 (0)303 123 1113

7. Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, use, alteration, disclosure or destruction.

Payment information is processed securely through our payment processor and booking platform.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. How long we keep your data

We will retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including to satisfy any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

As a general guide:

• Enquiry data — retained for 3 years from the date of your last interaction with us, unless you request deletion sooner.
• Booking and financial data — retained for 7 years after your tour, as required for tax and legal purposes.
• Marketing preferences — retained until you withdraw consent or unsubscribe.
• Website analytics data — retained in anonymised/aggregated form.

9. Cookie policy

9.1 What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files placed on your device when you visit a website. They help us improve your experience, understand how our website is used, and deliver relevant content.

9.2 Types of cookies we use

Strictly necessary cookies: Essential for the website to function. These cannot be switched off. They are set in response to actions you take, such as setting your privacy preferences or filling in forms. They do not store personally identifiable information.

Performance cookies: These help us understand how visitors use our website by collecting anonymous, aggregated information. We use Google Analytics for this purpose. You can find out more about how Google Analytics uses your data at: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/6004245.

Functional cookies: These enable enhanced functionality and personalisation, such as remembering your preferences. They may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our website.

Targeting/advertising cookies: These may be set by our advertising partners to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant content on other websites. They do not directly store personal information but identify your browser and device.

9.3 Managing cookies

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

For more information about cookies, including how to manage and delete them, visit: https://www.allaboutcookies.org/.

9.4 Cookie consent

When you first visit our website, we will ask for your consent to use non-essential cookies. You can change your preferences at any time using the cookie settings on our website.

10. Sensitive (special category) personal data

Where you provide us with sensitive personal information — such as dietary requirements, medical conditions, mobility needs or health information — in connection with your tour booking, we will process this information only with your explicit consent and only to the extent necessary to arrange your tour safely and to your specific needs.

This information may need to be shared with our accommodation and activity providers where relevant. If you do not consent to this processing, we may not be able to accommodate your specific requirements or, in some cases, proceed with your booking.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us, although this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

11. Children’s privacy

Our tours and website are not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 without the consent of a parent or guardian. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

12. Third-party websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements or business operations. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated “last updated” date. Where appropriate, we will notify you by email of significant changes.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our use of your personal information, please contact us: