A clear route for your information.

Identity and scope

Who we are and when this policy applies

Explore Central China operates explorecentralchina.com as a travel-information and journey-planning website focused on Central China. In this policy, “Explore Central China”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to the operator of this website.

For personal information collected through the website and its enquiry forms, we decide why and how that information is used. This policy applies when you browse the website, use the Contact form, submit the Plan My Trip form, or communicate with us about those submissions.

If planning later progresses to a paid or confirmed travel service, the responsible contracting travel provider and any additional privacy terms will be identified before you enter into that service.

Information categories

What information we collect

The information we receive depends on how you use the website. You can browse most pages without submitting a form.

Additional care

Dietary, allergy, mobility and accessibility information

The Plan My Trip form lets you optionally describe dietary, allergy, mobility or accessibility needs. Some of this information may be considered sensitive personal information or health-related data under applicable law.

We use it only to understand whether a proposed journey can meet your needs, to prepare an appropriate response and, if planning proceeds, to help coordinate suitable travel arrangements. We do not use it for advertising or unrelated profiling.

Purpose and authority

Why we use information and our legal bases

The legal terminology differs between countries. Where a law requires a specific legal basis, we rely on the basis that best matches the purpose described below.

We do not sell or rent personal information. We do not use the current enquiry forms to subscribe you to marketing. We do not make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects solely by automated means.

Website technologies

Cookies, security tools and analytics

The website may use essential cookies or similar local storage for security, form operation, language preferences, accessibility and your privacy choices. These technologies are used because the website cannot operate reliably without them.

Our forms use Cloudflare Turnstile to distinguish genuine visitors from automated abuse. Turnstile processes technical browser and interaction signals for this security purpose. You can read the Cloudflare Turnstile Privacy Addendum .

Where website analytics is enabled, non-essential analytics is used to understand aggregate page use and improve the visitor journey. We do not use analytics for personalised advertising. Where required, analytics starts only after the relevant consent choice. You can change or withdraw that choice through the website’s cookie settings.

Recipients and providers

Who may receive information

We limit access to people and providers who need the information for the purposes described in this policy. Depending on the interaction, recipients may include:

• authorised Explore Central China team members handling website, planning, operations, administration or security;
• website hosting, database, backup, email-delivery and information-technology providers;
• WordPress form and storage systems used to receive and retain Contact and Plan My Trip submissions;
• Cloudflare for form security and, if enabled with consent, Google for website analytics;
• WhatsApp, WeChat or another communication provider when you ask us to reply through that channel;
• travel providers, guides, accommodation, transport or other suppliers only when planning has progressed and sharing is reasonably necessary for the requested service;
• professional advisers, insurers, auditors, regulators, courts or public authorities when reasonably necessary or legally required.

A third-party provider may process information under its own terms when you independently use its service. For example, messages sent through WhatsApp or WeChat are also governed by that provider’s privacy practices.

Cross-border processing

International transfers

Explore Central China serves international travellers and focuses on travel within China. Information may therefore be accessed or processed in China and in other countries where our hosting, security, email, analytics, communication or travel providers operate.

Privacy laws and government-access rules can differ between those locations. Where applicable law requires a transfer mechanism or additional safeguard, we take measures appropriate to the transfer, the recipient and the sensitivity of the information. You may contact us for more information about a transfer relevant to your enquiry.

Storage period

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as it is reasonably needed for the purpose for which it was collected, including follow-up, security, record-keeping and legal requirements.

Security logs, anti-abuse data, backups and consent-based analytics may follow shorter or provider-configured retention periods. When deletion from a live system is completed, information may remain temporarily in restricted backups until those backups are overwritten.

Protection measures

How we protect information

We use reasonable administrative, technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information. These may include encrypted connections, access controls, role-based administration, form-abuse protection, backups, software maintenance and limiting access to people with a genuine need.

No website, email system or internet transmission is completely secure. Please use the current forms only for the information they request. If we later need identity, payment or detailed medical information for a confirmed service, we will identify an appropriate process at that time.

Your choices

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live and which law applies, you may have the right to:

• 01receive information about our processing;
• 02access personal information we hold about you;
• 03correct incomplete or inaccurate information;
• 04request deletion in applicable circumstances;
• 05restrict or object to certain processing;
• 06withdraw consent without affecting earlier lawful use;
• 07receive portable data where the right applies;
• 08complain to an appropriate data-protection authority.

We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. Some rights are subject to legal exceptions, including where information must be kept to comply with law or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. We will respond within the period required by the law applicable to the request.

Younger travellers

Children’s information

The website’s enquiry forms are intended for adults aged 18 or over. A parent, guardian, school or group organiser may tell us that children will travel, but should not submit a child’s full name, identity document, medical record or other identifying information in the initial form.

If information about a child is later required for a confirmed service, we will request only what is necessary, through an appropriate process, from a person authorised to provide it.

Questions, requests and updates

Contact us and policy changes

To ask a privacy question or exercise a privacy right, use our Contact page, choose General question and begin the subject line with Privacy request. Please describe the request and the email address used for the relevant enquiry.

Please do not send identity documents unless we specifically ask for an appropriate form of verification. We will use information submitted with a privacy request only to verify and respond to that request, keep required records and protect against misuse.

We may update this policy when our services, providers, legal obligations or data practices change. The effective date and version at the top of the page show the current record. Material changes will be presented prominently where appropriate.