Privacy Policy

Cultural Connection (UK) Limited provides homestay accommodation and related services for educational travel groups.

Company number: 04107420

Contact email: enquiries@culturalconnection.co.uk

Postal address: 29a Langley Road, Beckenham, BR3 4AE

We may collect personal information when you:

• contact us through the website
• request information or submit a group enquiry
• apply or enquire to become a host family
• communicate with us by email, phone or WhatsApp
• use our booking, agent or host systems

Depending on the interaction, this may include:

• name
• organisation
• email address
• telephone number
• proposed travel dates
• group size and programme information
• host-family household and accommodation information
• information needed for host recruitment, safeguarding and compliance
• booking and payment-related information
• technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information and website usage data

Where we provide homestay services for school groups, we may also receive participant information from schools, travel agencies or group organisers. This can include names, ages, gender, dietary requirements, allergy or medical information, accommodation requirements and other information needed to arrange an appropriate and safe placement.

We use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries
• arrange and manage homestay bookings
• recruit, assess and support host families
• match participants with appropriate host families
• manage safeguarding and compliance
• communicate with schools, agents, group leaders and hosts
• prepare accommodation lists and operational documents
• administer payments and invoices
• maintain and improve our website and systems
• meet legal, regulatory, safeguarding and record-keeping obligations

We process personal information where one or more of the following applies:

• it is necessary to take steps before entering into a contract or to perform a contract
• it is necessary for our legitimate interests in operating and improving our homestay services
• it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation
• you have given consent, where consent is the appropriate lawful basis

Where we process special category information, such as relevant health or dietary information, or criminal-record information for safeguarding purposes, we only do so where permitted by law and subject to appropriate safeguards.

We may share personal information where necessary with:

• Cultural Connection staff and local organisers
• schools, educational travel agents and group organisers
• host families
• professional advisers
• payment, IT, hosting, CRM and software providers
• transport providers where required for a booking
• safeguarding, regulatory or public authorities where legally required

We only share information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Some of our educational travel partners, students and service providers may be located outside the UK.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we take steps to ensure an appropriate legal basis and safeguards are in place where required.

We retain personal information only for as long as it is reasonably required for the purpose for which it was collected, including operational, safeguarding, contractual, insurance, accounting and legal record-keeping requirements.

Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Essential cookies may be used where necessary for the operation and security of the website.

Optional analytics or similar non-essential technologies are only activated where the visitor has provided the required consent.

You can change your cookie preferences using the cookie controls provided on the website.

Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you rights including:

• access to your personal information
• correction of inaccurate information
• deletion of information
• restriction of processing
• objection to certain processing
• data portability
• withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise a data protection right, contact enquiries@culturalconnection.co.uk.

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information about making a complaint is available at ico.org.uk.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own privacy policies.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be published on this page.