Privacy Policy

At TrekFriendly, a free spirit starts with knowing your personal data is in safe hands. We collect only what is strictly necessary to provide a safe, considerate human adventure.

1. Who is responsible for your data?

The legal identity of the TrekFriendly operator, responsible for processing your data, is being finalised. Confirmed information is gathered in the legal notice. For questions about your data, write to rgpd@trekfriendly.be.

2. What data do we collect, and why?

We apply data minimisation: we only ask for information needed for your trip.

• Your identity and hiker profile: your name is used for bookings. You may add a photograph, languages and an approximate region to get acquainted. The region is optional and separate from private group-sheet information. Your birth date remains private; you may hide the age derived from it in the participant preview.
• Your contact details (email): to send booking confirmations and allow the guide to contact you for logistical needs.
• Your contact requests: the email address, reason, optional booking reference and message you submit are used to answer you. They are forwarded to our team by email; the form creates no ticket on the platform. To prevent abuse, it temporarily uses HMAC fingerprints of the email and IP addresses. They expire after 25 hours and are purged opportunistically, without retaining the IP address in plain text.
• Your document acceptance: when you express agreement, we retain the document key, version, language and acceptance date. These records are linked to your account and follow its retention or permanent erasure, within the legal obligations described below. We retain no IP address or authentication profile data for this evidence.
• The optional guide notebook: notes, expense estimates, reminder dates and document copies you choose to store help prepare departures. Requested reminders appear in your personal account.
• Secure payment: Stripe handles your transactions. TrekFriendly never has access to your bank details.
• Destination-specific data: for certain trips, particularly in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, local legislation requires collection of nationality, postcode and identity document number for compulsory accommodation forms. This data is processed only for that legal obligation.

3. Strict limits on data sharing

Your data is never sold. It is shared only with partners essential to your trip:

• Signed-in members viewing departures: participant previews display your first name, photograph, languages and region you provided, and your age if you choose to show it. They reveal neither your full name, birth date nor contact details. You may change or remove optional information in your hiker profile.
• The appointed Guide: to ensure your safety and trip logistics, including accommodation and participant lists.
• Our technical providers: for website hosting and payment security.

The guide notebook is private. Its notes and attachments are not shared with travellers or suppliers; you decide what to send them.

4. How long do we keep your information?

• Your profile: for as long as you wish to remain part of our community.
• Your notebook: notes and attachments can be deleted at any time and are also removed when your account is erased. The notebook keeps useful preparation copies and does not replace your accounting records.
• Accounting documents: 10 years, in accordance with our Belgian legal obligations.

5. Your rights are respected

You remain in control of your data. You have rights of access, rectification and erasure. An email to rgpd@trekfriendly.be is enough to request the exercise of those rights.

6. Cookies

We use only essential technical cookies for the website to work properly (session, language). For anonymous statistics helping us improve your experience, we request consent through our dedicated banner on your first visit.