Privacy Policy Compliance

Effective Date: May 20, 2025

1. Who We Are

Welcome to Pelion Herbal Journey, an independent, nature-centered herbal experience located in the heart of Mt. Pelion, Greece. Our mission is to reconnect people with the healing wisdom of nature through guided herbal walks, traditional knowledge, and seasonal educational experiences rooted in the natural environment.

Pelion Herbal Journey is run by passionate herbal professionals who believe in transparency, respect for privacy, and the ethical treatment of personal data. We value your trust, and safeguarding your personal information is central to how we conduct our work.

This privacy policy is intended to explain in plain and transparent terms how we handle your personal data — what we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your information.

Data Controller:
Pelion Herbal Journey
Drakeia, Mt. Pelion 37300
Magnesia, Greece
📧 Email: info@pelionherbaljourney.com
📞 Phone: +30 6972458822
🌐 Website: www.pelionherbaljourney.com

If you have any questions about this policy or your personal data, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

2. Scope of This Privacy Policy

This policy applies to all visitors and users of our website, as well as individuals who engage with us directly through:

The contact form or email communication
Booking a herbal walk, consultation, or workshop
Signing up for our newsletter
Participating in surveys, giveaways, or events
Any other means by which personal data is voluntarily provided to us

Whether you are just browsing our website or actively participating in one of our offerings, this policy explains how we process and protect your personal data in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

This policy also applies to any offline data you may choose to share with us in person, during bookings, or while attending our events.

3. What Data We Collect and Why

We only collect personal data that is necessary, relevant, and limited to what is needed for the purposes explained in this policy. The types of personal data we collect may include:

a. Personal Information You Provide

You may voluntarily provide us with the following information when:

Using the Contact Form or Booking a Service

Full name
Email address
Telephone number
Preferred dates for walks or sessions
Number of participants
Special requests, accessibility needs, or relevant health notes you choose to share
Any other information you include in your message or inquiry

Subscribing to Our Newsletter

First name (optional)
Email address
Consent to receive marketing and educational emails

Communicating With Us

Correspondence history via email or phone
Feedback, testimonials, or survey responses

Note: We do not collect sensitive personal data (such as religious beliefs, political views, or biometric data), unless you choose to share health-related information that may be relevant to your participation in a walk or activity. Such information is handled with the highest confidentiality and only processed with your explicit consent.

b. Data Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical information to help us optimize user experience and website functionality. This may include:

Your IP address
Browser type and version
Device type (mobile, desktop, tablet)
Operating system
Referral source (how you arrived at our website)
Pages visited, time spent, and click behavior

We use third-party services like Google Analytics to gather this information in aggregated, anonymous form. These statistics help us understand how visitors use our site and where we can improve.

4. Legal Basis for Data Processing

According to GDPR, we are required to process your personal data on a lawful basis. The specific legal basis depends on the context in which we collect your data, and may include:

a. Consent (Article 6.1.a GDPR)

We will always ask for your clear and informed consent before:

Adding your email to our newsletter list
Sending you marketing content or updates
Collecting any health-related data during a booking

You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by emailing us at info@pelionherbaljourney.com or clicking "unsubscribe" at the bottom of any newsletter.

b. Contractual Necessity (Article 6.1.b GDPR)

We process your data when it is necessary for:

Responding to your inquiry
Preparing or confirming your booking
Providing the service you’ve requested (e.g., a guided herbal walk)

c. Legal Obligation (Article 6.1.c GDPR)

We may be required to retain personal data for:

Tax records
Financial accounting
Regulatory compliance

d. Legitimate Interests (Article 6.1.f GDPR)

We process some personal data to:

Maintain communication with visitors and clients
Improve our services and website
Ensure the safety and quality of our offerings

In such cases, we always assess that our interests do not override your rights and freedoms.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for clearly defined and lawful purposes. Depending on the context of our interaction, we may use your data to:

Respond to your inquiries: Whether via contact form, email, or phone.
Process and confirm bookings: Including scheduling, follow-up communication, and preparation for your herbal walk or session.
Send updates or promotional content: Only if you have subscribed to our newsletter or opted in for updates.
Customize our offerings: To better tailor your experience and consider any preferences or health-related needs you’ve shared.
Improve website performance and security: Through analysis of usage data (in aggregated form).
Maintain records for legal or tax purposes.

We do not use your personal data for:

Unsolicited advertising or spam
Selling to third parties
Automated decision-making or profiling

6. How We Collect Your Data

We collect your personal information through the following means:

a. Direct Interactions

Most of the personal data we collect is provided directly by you when you:

Fill out the contact or booking form on our website
Subscribe to our newsletter
Communicate with us via email or phone
Provide feedback, testimonials, or survey responses

b. Website Analytics and Cookies

When you visit our website, we collect limited browsing data using cookies and similar technologies. These are used to:

Understand how users interact with our site
Improve usability and content
Optimize mobile responsiveness

You will be notified about cookies when you first visit our site and can manage your preferences at any time through your browser settings.

c. Booking and Payment Services

If we use a third-party platform for booking management (e.g., Calendly, Ticketing Systems, or a secure payment processor), personal data may be collected through those systems under their own privacy policies, which you should review before submitting data.

Important: We do not store or directly process any credit card or payment information on our servers.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We deeply respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. However, there are limited situations in which your data may be shared:

a. Service Providers and Third-Party Partners
We may use trusted third-party services to help us operate our website, manage bookings, send newsletters, or analyze website traffic. These include:

Website hosting providers
Email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp)
Analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics)
Booking and calendar services
IT or technical support providers

All service providers are carefully selected and contractually bound to keep your data secure and to process it only on our behalf and according to this Privacy Policy.

b. Legal Requirements
We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal requests by public authorities (e.g., tax authorities, courts, or law enforcement).

c. Business Transfers
If Pelion Herbal Journey undergoes a restructuring, merger, or acquisition, your data may be transferred as part of that process. We will inform you of any such change and your rights.

8. International Data Transfers

While we are based in Greece and operate primarily within the EU, some of our third-party service providers (e.g., cloud storage, email services) may process data in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Whenever we transfer personal data internationally, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

The use of services that comply with EU-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks or other recognized standards.
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) as approved by the European Commission.

You may request more details on our international data transfers by contacting us.

9. Data Retention – How Long We Keep Your Data

We only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, including for:

Providing our services to you
Complying with legal, tax, and accounting obligations
Resolving disputes
Maintaining records of communication

Retention Examples:

Booking and service-related data: Up to 5 years for tax/legal obligations
Newsletter subscription: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
Analytics data (anonymous): Up to 26 months (based on Google Analytics default settings)

Once your data is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have several important rights:

Right to Access – You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification – You can ask us to correct or complete inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”) – You can request deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
Right to Restrict Processing – You may ask us to temporarily suspend processing in certain situations.
Right to Data Portability – You can request your data in a structured, commonly used format.
Right to Object – You can object to processing based on legitimate interest or direct marketing.
Right to Withdraw Consent – You can withdraw your consent at any time where processing is based on it.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:
📧 info@pelionherbaljourney.com

We will respond within 30 days, unless a longer period is permitted by law.

11. How We Protect Your Data

We are committed to keeping your information safe. To prevent unauthorized access, loss, or misuse of your personal data, we implement the following safeguards:

SSL encryption on our website for secure communication
Limited access to personal data, restricted to authorized personnel
Secure password practices and two-factor authentication where applicable
Regular updates to software and security tools
Use of GDPR-compliant third-party platforms

While no system can be 100% secure, we take all reasonable steps to protect your data in line with industry standards and data protection laws.

12. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect or process personal data from minors. If we become aware that data from a child has been collected without appropriate consent, we will delete it immediately.

If you believe we may have unintentionally collected data from a minor, please contact us at:
📧 info@pelionherbaljourney.com

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect legal changes, updates in our practices, or enhancements to our services. When we do, we will:

Revise the “Effective Date” at the top of the document
Notify users via our website and/or email, if significant changes are made

We encourage you to review this page regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

14. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to exercise your data rights, please reach out to us:

Pelion Herbal Journey
Drakeia, Mt. Pelion 37300
Magnesia, Greece
📧 Email: info@pelionherbaljourney.com
📞 Phone: +30 6972458822
🌐 Website: www.pelionherbaljourney.com

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