Privacy | GB Sports Tours

PRIVACY POLICY

INTRODUCTION

GB Travel Group is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. It also outlines your rights under these laws and how you can exercise them. We will only process your personal data as described in this policy or as permitted by law.

In this policy, ‘you’ refers to party leaders, individuals making enquiries or bookings, students and accompanying staff, parents/guardians, and adult group travellers.

WHO WE ARE

GB Travel Group is a UK-based travel provider offering educational tours, group travel, and bespoke travel arrangements. We act as the data controller for the personal data you provide to us, which means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data.

WHAT IS PERSONAL DATA?

Personal data refers to any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. This includes, but is not limited to, names, contact details, passport information, and health-related data. Processing refers to any operation performed on personal data, such as collection, storage, use, disclosure, and deletion. We process personal data to respond to enquiries, provide quotes, administer bookings, and deliver travel services.

WHAT DATA WE COLLECT

We may collect and process the following types of personal data to enable us to respond to an enquiry, provide a proposal and quote, administer and fulfill your booking or send you promotional and marketing material:

Contact Information (name, position, address, email, phone number of group leader)

Travel Documentation (name, DOB, passport details, visa information)

Health and Dietary information (medical conditions, allergies, dietary requirements)

Emergency contact details

Special category data

Depending on the nature of your trip, we may also collect additional data such as height, shoe size, and weight (for ski trips), musical biographies and photographs (for concert tours), and cultural or physical requirements (for homestays).

SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL DATA

Special category data can include information regarding your racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, genetic data, biometric data, health data, and data concerning a person’s sexual orientation. Not all special categories will be relevant to the booking and provision of travel arrangements. We require explicit consent to process this data, which may be provided by the party leader with appropriate authorisation from the individual or their guardian. For individuals under 18, consent must be provided by the party leader on behalf of the parent or legal guardian. This data is only collected when necessary to fulfil our contractual obligations or to ensure the safety and wellbeing of travellers.

HOW WE COLLECT YOUR DATA

We collect data through various channels including booking forms, online submissions, email and telephone communications, social media, events and conferences, third-party group leaders or organisers, and our website. We may also receive personal data from third parties when required to fulfil our contractual obligations, such as when you are listed as a passenger on a confirmed tour or providing a service as part of a tour.

LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING

We process your data under the following lawful bases:

Contractual Necessity (to fulfil your travel booking)

Legal Obligation (for regulatory compliance)

Consent (for marketing communications and special category data), and

Legitimate Interests (for internal reporting and service improvement).

HOW WE USE YOUR DATA

Your data is used to organise and deliver travel services, communicate with you regarding your booking, provide customer support, ensure your safety and wellbeing during travel, and send marketing communications (if consent is given). We may also use your data to improve our services, conduct feedback surveys, and manage our internal operations.

SHARING YOUR DATA

We may share your data with airlines, accommodation providers, transport companies, insurance providers, tour guides, local partners, activity and excursion providers, IT and payment processing providers, and regulatory authorities. We ensure all third parties only process your data for specified purposes. We only provide third parties with the personal data they require in order to deliver their services and take appropriate steps to ensure they keep it secure.

INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

Where necessary, your data may be transferred outside the UK or EEA. Organisations outside of the EEA may not be subject to the same level of controls in regard to data protection as exist within the UK and EEA. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place. Personal data will not be transferred to a country outside the EEA unless it meets the required data protection standards. Transfers may occur when booking international travel services required by contract or complying with legal obligations in other jurisdictions.

DATA SECURITY

We implement robust technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including secure servers, encrypted communications, access controls, staff training, and regular audits. These measures are appropriate to the harm that might result from unauthorised processing or accidental loss. We also conduct regular reviews of our data protection practices to ensure ongoing compliance.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

We may send you marketing emails about our services if you have opted in. You can withdraw consent at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” or contacting us directly. We comply with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) when sending marketing emails. You may choose the communication channels you prefer, such as email or postal mail.

YOUR RIGHTS

You have the following rights under data protection law: right to access your data, right to rectify inaccurate data, right to erase your data (“right to be forgotten”), right to restrict or object to processing, right to data portability, and right to withdraw consent. You may request correction or deletion of your personal data where applicable. We will respond within one month, or up to three months for complex requests. These rights can be exercised by contacting us using the details provided in this policy.

DATA RETENTION

We retain your data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy. Typically, personal data is retained for up to 6 years after your travel for legal and operational reasons. Marketing data is retained until consent is withdrawn or deemed no longer valid. In certain circumstances, we may retain data longer to comply with legal obligations or defend legal claims.

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POLICY UPDATES

This privacy policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in legislation or internal procedures. We will post the latest version on our website and notify you of significant changes. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

If you have concerns about how your data is handled, contact our Data Protection Officer. We will investigate and respond to your complaint promptly. If unresolved, you may escalate to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk, the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection.

If you have questions or concerns about this policy or your data, please contact:

Data Protection Officer
GB Travel Group
2 West walk, Lambton Estate, Chester le Street, Durham DH3 4AN
Email: info@gbtravel.co.uk
Phone: 0191 3851613