Privacy Policy

Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the website at globaltravelecom.buzz and to every service offered by Hong Kong Global Travel E-Commerce Limited, including curated itineraries, ticketing and bookings, our group travel desk, visa and document help, our travel support line and partner hotel rates. It covers the information you give us directly, the information created as we work on your journey and the limited information our website collects automatically when you visit.

The policy does not apply to third parties we do not control. Airlines, hotels, embassies, consulates and payment processors each maintain their own privacy notices, and we encourage you to read those notices when you interact with them. Where we share information with a supplier so your journey can proceed, that supplier handles the information under its own rules in addition to the protections described here.

By contacting the desk, requesting an itinerary draft or using any of our services, you acknowledge that you have read this policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not submit personal information to us, and contact the desk if you have questions before proceeding.

Who We Are

Hong Kong Global Travel E-Commerce Limited is the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy. Our registered place of business is Rm B 16/F EUBANK PLZ, 9 CHIU LUNG ST, Hong Kong (HK). Our team operates a Central district front desk and a digital travel e-commerce service, and we act as a professional services business within the computer systems design and related services field.

When this policy refers to we, us or the Company, it means Hong Kong Global Travel E-Commerce Limited. When it refers to you, it means any person who visits the website, requests an itinerary, books through the desk or is named in a group travel arrangement. When it refers to our front desk, it means the physical and digital counter through which our services are delivered.

The developer name GlobalTravelEcom appears on this policy because the same internal team builds and maintains the website and the systems that support our bookings. That team follows the rules set out here when handling information on behalf of the Company.

Information We Collect

We collect several categories of information. The category depends on how you interact with the desk, and we try to collect only what a journey genuinely requires.

Identity and contact information includes your name, email address, telephone number, postal address and, where you provide it, your preferred language and contact times. Travel document information includes passport numbers, passport expiry dates, nationality, date of birth, place of birth and, where a destination requires it, visa details and vaccination records. Booking information includes your itinerary, flight and rail references, seat preferences, hotel stays, transfer arrangements and special requests.

Payment information includes the billing name, billing address, the last digits of a card and the confirmation references produced by our payment partners. We do not store complete card numbers on our own systems. Group travel information includes the names and shared preferences of travelling companions, school or corporate affiliations, rooming lists and the contact details of a group coordinator. Support information includes the messages you send us, the notes our team records while helping you and the history of any changes made to a booking.

Website information includes technical data such as your approximate location derived from an internet address, browser type, device type and the pages you visit. We use this information in aggregate to keep the site working and to understand which services visitors want most.

How We Collect Information

Most of the information we hold comes directly from you. You give it to us when you complete an enquiry through our contact form, send an email to the desk, call our support line, request an itinerary draft or confirm a booking. You also give us information when you respond to a question from a member of our team or update your details after a change of plan.

Some information is created as we work. When we issue documents, change a segment, file a visa application or arrange a hotel stay, our systems record the action and the details behind it. This record keeps your journey consistent, and it helps the support line answer quickly when you call.

A limited amount of information arrives automatically. When you load our website, our hosting environment records basic technical data such as the time of your request and the page requested. We do not use this data to identify you personally, and we keep it only for the operational and security purposes described in this policy.

In some situations another person provides information about you. A group coordinator may name you in a rooming list, or a travelling companion may list you as a contact. Where that happens, we expect the coordinator to have your permission, and we handle the information under the same rules as information you provide directly.

Why We Use Information

We use personal information to deliver the services you request. That includes drafting an itinerary, issuing tickets and bookings, coordinating a group movement, preparing visa and document applications, staffing the travel support line and securing partner hotel rates. Without the relevant information, we could not complete the work you have asked the desk to do.

We also use information to communicate with you. We confirm what we have done, answer questions, send reminders about payment deadlines or document expiry, and provide updates when a schedule changes. We use information to keep our records accurate, to resolve problems and to improve how the front desk operates.

Some uses protect the Company and our clients. We may use information to detect fraud, prevent misuse of our services, secure our systems and comply with legal, tax, accounting and regulatory duties. We may also use aggregated, non-identifying information to understand which services are in demand and how to make the website clearer.

We do not sell personal information, and we do not rent it to advertising networks. We do not use the information you give us for any purpose that is incompatible with the reasons described in this policy.

Legal Bases for Processing

Where privacy law requires us to identify a legal basis for processing, we rely on several grounds. We process information to perform a contract when we provide a service you have requested, such as issuing a ticket or confirming a hotel booking. We process information based on your consent when you agree to receive marketing messages or when you provide sensitive details that a specific destination requires.

We process information to comply with legal obligations, including tax, accounting and transport security requirements. We also process information for our legitimate interests, such as keeping accurate records, improving our services, preventing fraud and protecting the security of our website and systems. Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance those interests against your rights and expectations.

Where consent is the basis for processing, you may withdraw that consent at any time by contacting the desk. Withdrawal does not affect processing carried out before the withdrawal, and it may mean that we can no longer provide a service that depends on the information concerned.

Travel Documents and Special Categories

Travel planning sometimes involves information that privacy law treats as sensitive. A passport reveals nationality and date of birth, a visa application may reveal a person employment or family details, and a vaccination record can reveal health information. We collect this information only where a booking, a border authority or a supplier genuinely requires it, and we limit its use to the journey in question.

When we handle health-related information, such as a dietary requirement, a mobility need or a medical note relevant to travel, we do so with your consent or where another lawful basis applies. We share such details only with suppliers who need them to deliver the service, such as an airline arranging assistance or a hotel preparing a suitable room.

We do not use sensitive information for marketing, and we do not keep it longer than the journey and its related obligations require. Where a document is held only to satisfy a border requirement, we delete or archive it once that requirement has been met and any retention duty has expired.

Ticketing and Supplier Partners

To issue a ticket or confirm a booking, we must share the details the supplier requires. Airlines and rail operators receive the passenger name as it appears on the travel document, the route, the travel dates and any special service request. Ferry operators and transfer providers receive similar information, along with meeting instructions where a driver must find a traveller at a specific gate.

We share only the information a supplier needs to complete the service, and we do so under arrangements that require the supplier to protect it. We do not pass your contact details to a supplier for the supplier own marketing unless you have agreed to that directly. Where a supplier acts as an independent controller, its own privacy notice applies alongside ours.

If a booking fails or a schedule changes, we may need to share updated information with the same suppliers to resolve the issue. Our ticketing desk keeps a record of each communication so the support line can see what was agreed and act on it quickly.

Hotel and Accommodation Partners

Partner hotel rates are arranged through selected properties with which we hold long-standing relationships. To hold a room, we share the guest name, the stay dates, the room type and any preference the guest has asked us to note, such as a quiet room or an accessible layout. Where a property is located in another country, that property may handle the information under local law in addition to ours.

We compare partner rates against the open market before recommending a property, and we use booking information to honour that recommendation. We do not share payment card details with a hotel; those details are handled by our payment partners under their own security controls.

Special requests are passed on as a request rather than a guarantee unless the property has confirmed them in writing. Where a guest asks us to arrange an early check-in, a late arrival or storage of luggage between stays, we share only the details required to make that arrangement.

Group Travel Information

Group journeys involve information about more than one traveller. Our group travel desk collects names, contact details, rooming preferences and shared requirements so that a single coordinator can manage the movement on behalf of the party. The coordinator usually provides this information, and we ask that the coordinator has each traveller permission to do so.

We handle group information with the same care as individual information. We do not disclose one traveller details to another beyond what the group arrangement requires, and we keep the rooming list available only to the members of our team who need it to coordinate the trip. Where a group includes minors, we ask the coordinator to confirm that appropriate consent has been obtained.

After a group journey ends, we retain the group record for the period described in this policy so that any follow-up question, refund or claim can be answered accurately. Group members may contact the desk to ask about the information held about them individually.

Cookies and Local Storage

Our website uses a small amount of browser storage to keep the site working. This includes remembering whether you have opened the mobile navigation and storing preferences that make the pages easier to use. We keep this storage minimal and functional, and we do not use it to build advertising profiles.

Some cookies may be set by our hosting environment for security and performance, such as protecting a form from automated misuse or measuring load times. These cookies do not identify you personally. Where we introduce analytics that rely on cookies, we will describe their purpose and, where required, ask for your consent before they are set.

You can control cookies through your browser settings, including blocking them or clearing them after a visit. Blocking functional storage may affect how parts of the website behave, but it will not prevent you from contacting the desk by email or telephone.

When We Share Information

We share personal information only in the circumstances described in this policy. We share it with suppliers who deliver a booked service, with payment processors who handle a transaction, with professional advisers such as accountants and lawyers where necessary, and with technology providers who host and support our website and booking systems.

We may disclose information where the law requires it, such as in response to a valid request from a public authority, a court order or a transport security requirement. We may also disclose information to protect the rights, safety or property of the Company, our clients or the public, and to investigate suspected fraud or misuse of our services.

If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction. If that happens, we will require the recipient to honour this policy, and we will notify affected individuals where the law requires it.

International Transfers

Travel is international by nature, and so is much of the information we handle. When you book a journey that crosses borders, we may need to transfer information to a supplier in another country so the service can be provided. Those transfers are necessary to complete your booking and to support you while you travel.

When we transfer information across borders, we take steps to protect it. These steps can include contractual arrangements with the recipient, checks on the recipient security practices and limiting the transfer to the information the service genuinely requires. Where local law provides a different level of protection, we still apply the principles in this policy to the information we control.

By asking us to arrange an international journey, you understand that information needed for that journey may be shared with suppliers in the relevant destinations. If you have concerns about a particular transfer, contact the desk before booking so we can discuss the options.

How Long We Keep Information

We keep personal information only as long as we need it for the purposes described in this policy. Booking records are kept for the duration of the journey and for a reasonable period afterwards, so that follow-up questions, refunds, claims and accounting duties can be handled accurately.

Travel document copies are kept only while an application or a border requirement is active, and they are then deleted or archived securely. Records connected to tax and accounting obligations are kept for the period that the applicable law requires. Support records are kept for a shorter period, sufficient to resolve any question about the assistance we provided.

When information is no longer needed, we delete it or make it permanently unreadable. Where deletion is not immediately possible, for example because information sits in a backup system, we isolate it and remove it when the backup cycle completes.

How We Protect Information

We protect personal information with technical and organisational measures appropriate to its sensitivity. These measures include access controls that limit information to team members who need it, encryption of information in transit, secure storage of records and regular review of how our systems are configured.

Our front desk records are kept in a single ledger so that context is not lost and information is not copied unnecessarily across many places. Team members receive guidance on handling travel documents and sensitive details, and access is removed promptly when a person leaves a role.

No system is perfectly secure. If we become aware of a breach that affects your information, we will investigate promptly and notify you and any relevant authority where the law requires it. You can help by keeping your booking references private and by telling us immediately if you suspect that someone has used your details without permission.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights over the personal information we hold about you. These rights can include the right to access a copy of your information, the right to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete, the right to request deletion of information we no longer need, and the right to restrict or object to certain processing.

You may also have the right to receive information you provided in a portable format, and the right to withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing. Where we rely on legitimate interests, you may object to that processing, and we will assess your request in light of your circumstances.

To exercise a right, contact the desk using the details at the end of this policy. We may ask you to confirm your identity before acting, so that we do not disclose information to the wrong person. We will respond within the period that the applicable law allows, and we will explain our decision if we are unable to meet a request in full.

Marketing and Communications

We send marketing messages only where we have a lawful basis to do so. If you ask to receive updates about winter departure windows, seasonal offers or new services, we will use your contact details for that purpose and give you a clear way to stop at any time.

Service messages are different from marketing. We may contact you about a booking you have made, a document that needs attention, a payment deadline or a change to your journey. These messages are part of delivering the service you requested, and they are sent even if you have opted out of marketing.

You can update your marketing preferences at any time by contacting the desk. We will action your request promptly and confirm when it has been recorded.

Privacy for Children

Our services are arranged for adult travellers, and group journeys may include minors who travel under the care of a responsible adult. We do not knowingly collect information from a child without the involvement of a parent, guardian or authorised coordinator.

Where a journey requires information about a minor, we ask the responsible adult to provide it and to confirm that they have the authority to do so. We limit the information we hold about a minor to what the journey genuinely requires, and we apply the same security and retention rules that protect adult information.

If you believe that we hold information about a child without appropriate consent, contact the desk and we will review the record and take appropriate action, including deletion where the law permits.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may link to the websites of airlines, hotels, border authorities or other organisations that support a journey. Those websites are not controlled by the Company, and this policy does not apply to them.

When you follow a link to another website, we encourage you to read its privacy notice before providing personal information. We are not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of a website we do not operate.

Where we embed a service from another provider, such as a payment form, that provider may collect information under its own policy. We choose providers carefully and share only the information the service requires.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our systems or the law. When we make a material change, we will publish the updated policy on this page and adjust the effective date, and we will take additional steps to notify you where the law requires it.

The version published on this page is the current version, and it replaces any earlier version. We encourage you to review the policy periodically, especially before starting a new journey or providing new categories of information.

If you continue to use our services after an update takes effect, you accept the revised policy. If you do not agree with a change, you may stop using the service and contact the desk with any questions about the information we hold.

How to Contact Us

If you have a question about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise a privacy right or want to raise a concern about how information has been handled, please contact the front desk. We take every privacy enquiry seriously and aim to respond within the period that the applicable law allows.

You can write to us at Rm B 16/F EUBANK PLZ, 9 CHIU LUNG ST, Hong Kong (HK), email the desk at development@globaltravelecom.buzz, or call +16675677921 during business hours. Please include enough detail for us to identify your records, and tell us how you would like us to reply.