1. Who we are
31° North is operated by [Registered company name], [Registered office address] ("we", "us"). We decide how your personal data is used, which makes us the data fiduciary under India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the data controller under the EU and UK GDPR where those laws apply.
2. What we collect
| When | What |
|---|---|
| You browse the site | Basic technical data our hosting provider records to run and secure the site: IP address, browser type, pages requested and time. Only if you accept cookies, analytics and advertising tools (Google Analytics, Google Ads, Meta Pixel, Microsoft Clarity) also record how you use the site, such as pages viewed, device type and approximate location. |
| You send an enquiry | Name, email, phone or WhatsApp number, number of travellers, preferred month, country, the journey you chose and anything you write in your message. We also record which page you sent it from and which campaign or advert brought you to the site (campaign tags and ad click identifiers), so we know which of our adverts are useful. |
| You book a journey | Details needed to arrange it: names, ages, contact details, passport or ID details, nationality and visa information, dietary and accessibility needs, emergency contact, and payment records. For some journeys (for example Kailash Mansarovar or high-altitude treks) a medical fitness certificate may be required by authorities or suppliers. |
| You use the Sacred Passport | Your passport name, number and stamps are stored only on your own device and are not sent to us. See section 7. |
| You open the world map | Map images load from OpenStreetMap's servers, which receive your IP address as part of the request. |
3. How we use it
- To answer your enquiry and prepare a tailored itinerary and quote.
- To arrange and run your journey: hotels, transport, guides, Faith Hosts, permits and entry arrangements.
- To keep you safe: emergency contacts, health needs you tell us about, and support during travel.
- To meet legal duties: tax, invoicing, accounting, and requests from authorities where the law requires.
- To send you news about journeys and Faith Trails, only if you opt in. You can unsubscribe at any time.
We process your data with your consent, which you give when you submit an enquiry or booking, or where the law allows it without consent (for example to comply with a legal obligation or in a medical emergency). You can withdraw consent at any time; this does not affect what we did before, but we may then be unable to complete a booking.
We never sell your personal data, and we do not use it for advertising profiles.
4. Faith and health details
On a spiritual journey you may tell us about your religious practice (for example rituals you wish to perform) or your health (for example mobility or altitude concerns). We treat these details with extra care: we ask for them only when they help us plan your journey, use them only for that purpose, share them only with the people who need them to look after you, and never use them for marketing.
5. Who we share it with
We share only what each party needs to deliver your journey:
- Travel suppliers: hotels, transport and helicopter operators, local guides, Faith Hosts and ground partners.
- Authorities: permit offices, temple or shrine registrations, immigration and police, where required for entry or by law.
- Analytics and advertising providers (Google, Meta, Microsoft), only if you accept cookies, to measure visits and the results of our adverts. They act under their own privacy policies.
- Service providers who work for us under contract: website hosting, our enquiry form service, email, payment gateways (we never see or store your full card details) and accounting.
- Others when required: to comply with law, protect someone's safety, or as part of a business transfer, with the same protections.
6. Travel outside India
If your journey is outside India, or a service provider stores data abroad, your data may be transferred to other countries. We do this only as needed for your journey or our services, and only to countries not restricted by the Government of India. For travellers in the EU or UK, we use appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses.
7. Cookies and your device
When we use analytics or advertising tools, a cookie banner asks for your choice the first time you visit. If you choose Reject non-essential, analytics and advertising cookies are not set; Google's tools may still send basic, cookieless measurements without identifying you (Google Consent Mode). You can change your choice at any time with Cookie settings in the footer.
Without cookies, we keep two kinds of information in your browser only:
- Campaign source: the campaign tags of the link you arrived from, so an enquiry you send can tell us which advert helped. If you have not accepted cookies, this is kept only until you close the tab.
- Sacred Passport: your passport name, number and stamps, on your device only. We cannot see it, and it is deleted if you clear your browser data or choose "Start a new passport".
8. How long we keep it
- Enquiries that do not become bookings: up to 24 months, then deleted.
- Booking and payment records: as long as tax and accounting law requires, typically up to 8 years.
- Passport and visa copies: deleted within 90 days after your journey ends, unless the law requires longer.
- Health details: deleted within 90 days after your journey ends.
9. Keeping it safe
We use reasonable security measures, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access only for staff who need it, and contracts that require our suppliers to protect your data. If a personal data breach affects you, we will inform you and the Data Protection Board of India as the law requires.
10. Your rights
You can ask us to:
- tell you what personal data we hold about you and who we shared it with;
- correct, complete or update it;
- erase it when it is no longer needed (subject to legal retention);
- withdraw your consent;
- nominate someone to exercise your rights if you die or become unable to;
- if you are in the EU or UK: also object to processing, restrict it, or receive a portable copy.
Write to [privacy@yourdomain.com]. We reply within 30 days. If you are not satisfied, contact our Grievance Officer (section 13), and you may then complain to the Data Protection Board of India, or your local data protection authority in the EU or UK.
11. Children
Children are welcome on our journeys with a parent or guardian. We collect a child's personal data only from, and with the verifiable consent of, their parent or lawful guardian, and only to arrange the journey. Children should not submit enquiries themselves.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as our services or the law change. The date at the top shows the latest version. If a change is significant, we will tell travellers with active bookings.
13. Contact and grievances
Grievance Officer: [Grievance Officer name]
Email: [privacy@yourdomain.com]
Phone: [+91 phone number]
Address: [Registered company name], [Registered office address]
We acknowledge grievances within 48 hours and aim to resolve them within 30 days.