Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Go Hug The World Limited (Company No. 16834250)
Registered office: Sussex Innovation Centre, Science Park Square, Brighton, East Sussex, England, BN1 9SB
Contact email: admin@gohugtheworld.com
Website: www.gohugtheworld.com

2. Information we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

A. Identity and contact information

• name and title, if provided
• email address and phone number
• postal or billing address, where needed
• date of birth, where relevant for travel

B. Travel and booking information

• enquiry details, such as dates, destinations, budget, party composition, and preferences
• traveller details needed to book travel, which may include nationality, passport details, visa or immigration information, and other information required by suppliers
• booking administration and related correspondence

C. Account, membership and rewards information

• Members Area login or account identifiers and status
• membership tier (Explorer / Navigator / World Hugger)
• Huginn Points and other rewards or game-related account data
• preferences you save, such as wishlists, saved trips, or alert thresholds

D. Communications

• emails, messages, and call records with you, including WhatsApp where used

E. Technical and usage information

• device and browser information, IP address, time zone, and approximate location where available
• how you use our website and features, including pages visited, links clicked, and session information
• cookie, pixel, and analytics identifiers or events

F. Payment information

• membership fees are processed through Stripe. We do not store full card details on our systems.
• holiday payments may be processed through Felloh and/or systems used by Independent Travel Experts (ITE). We do not store full card details on our systems.

3. Special category data

Some travel arrangements require, or you may choose to provide, information that is treated as special category data under UK GDPR, such as:

• health and accessibility information
• dietary requirements and allergies
• vaccination or medical information where relevant to entry requirements

We only process special category data where we have a valid lawful basis and an additional condition under UK GDPR, typically your explicit consent, or where it is necessary to protect your vital interests, or for reasons of substantial public interest, as applicable.

4. How we collect your information

We collect personal data:

• directly from you when you fill in forms, create an account, play our interactive features, subscribe to updates, enter a competition, contact us, or provide booking details
• automatically through cookies, pixels, and similar technologies when you use our website and Members Area
• from third parties such as travel suppliers or tour operators, analytics and advertising partners where enabled, and payment or booking service providers

5. How we use your information

We use personal data to:

• provide travel consultancy and fulfil bookings
• create and manage your account and provide the Members Area and membership services
• run interactive features and rewards or games, including tracking gameplay actions, allocating points or rewards, preventing abuse, and protecting scheme integrity
• personalise recommendations using preferences you provide and signals from your interactions
• send service communications
• send marketing communications where you have opted in or where we have another lawful basis
• operate, secure, and improve our website and services
• support community initiatives, where applicable

6. AI and internal tools

We use a blend of human expertise and technology to run our business efficiently. This may include AI-assisted tools to help us:

• summarise enquiries or communications
• draft itineraries or recommendation notes
• detect patterns in preferences to improve the relevance of suggestions
• improve internal workflows and response times

Where AI tools are used, we apply reasonable safeguards to protect confidentiality and personal data. We do not use solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you.

7. Lawful bases for processing

We process your personal data under one or more of the following lawful bases:

• contract
• legal obligation
• legitimate interests
• consent, where required

You can withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

8. Sharing your information

We may share personal data with trusted third parties where necessary, including:

• travel suppliers and tour operators to arrange and deliver travel services
• Independent Travel Experts (ITE) and their systems or suppliers where required to administer bookings and protection arrangements
• payment providers, including Stripe for membership and Felloh and/or ITE-linked systems for holiday payments
• analytics and advertising partners where enabled, such as Google Analytics and Meta Pixel
• infrastructure and business service providers we use to operate our services, such as hosting, authentication, databases, scheduling tools like TidyCal, and communications tools such as WhatsApp where used
• professional advisers
• regulators or authorities where required by law

We do not sell your personal data.

9. International transfers

Travel is international by nature. To arrange your trip, we may need to share your personal data with suppliers located outside the UK and, in some cases, outside the EEA.

Where we transfer personal data internationally, we take steps designed to ensure an appropriate level of protection, for example by relying on adequacy regulations where applicable and/or appropriate contractual safeguards.

10. Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy, including legal, accounting, regulatory, dispute, and fraud-prevention purposes.

Typical examples:

• booking and transaction records: generally retained for 7 years for accounting, tax, and audit purposes
• account data: retained for as long as your account remains active and for a reasonable period afterwards where needed for support, dispute handling, or fraud prevention
• marketing records: retained until you unsubscribe, opt out, or we no longer need them

Where we no longer need your data, we will delete or anonymise it where feasible and appropriate.

11. Cookies, pixels and similar technologies

We use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to:

• make the site work properly
• remember preferences
• understand site usage, for example via Google Analytics
• measure campaign effectiveness and, where enabled, help show you relevant advertising

You can manage cookies through your browser settings and, where available, any cookie controls or consent tools we provide. If you block certain cookies, parts of the Members Area or interactive features may not function correctly.

12. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you may have the right to:

• request access to your personal data
• request rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data
• request erasure in certain circumstances
• restrict processing in certain circumstances
• object to processing, including for direct marketing
• request data portability in certain circumstances
• withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent

To exercise your rights, contact us at admin@gohugtheworld.com.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): www.ico.org.uk. We would appreciate the chance to resolve your concerns first.