1. Who handles your information
JohnBow Tours and Travel Limited is responsible for deciding how personal information is used for our own enquiries, booking administration and customer relationships. Our office is at Kenya Cinema Plaza, 3rd Floor, Room 3-8, Moi Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. Contact info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com for privacy matters or enquiries@johnbowtoursandtravel.com for booking assistance.
We plan and arrange safaris, resident holidays, day trips, accommodation, transport, flights and other agreed travel services, including destination management for travel partners. Independent airlines, accommodation providers, payment services and other suppliers may also be responsible for information they need to deliver their own services. This Policy describes JohnBow’s handling of information; it does not replace an independent provider’s privacy notice.
2. Information supplied through enquiries
Our travel enquiry process asks for your name, email address, country and contact details, together with choices such as resident or non-resident travel, destination interests, approximate budget, dates or travel month, duration, whether flights are already booked, the type of travelling party and numbers of adults and children. These details help us prepare and discuss an appropriate itinerary and quotation.
Follow-up questions may ask about booking readiness, previous travel, age range and how you heard about JohnBow. We also receive information you choose to send by email, telephone, WhatsApp, social media or in person, including questions, preferences, feedback and complaints. Provide only information relevant to your request. If you identify a friend or another person as a referral, ensure they would reasonably expect that information to be shared.
Website enquiries are recorded in our website’s form-submission system and sent to the team by email. The record can include the submission date, time and originating page. This means a submitted enquiry may exist in both the website administration system and business correspondence while it is needed for the purposes described here.
3. Traveller and booking information
If you proceed with travel arrangements, the information needed depends on the itinerary and supplier requirements. It may include passenger names as shown on travel documents, nationality, date of birth or age where relevant to fares or permits, passport or identity details where required, travel dates, flight details, rooming arrangements, residency evidence, emergency contacts and the services purchased. We do not require every category for every enquiry or booking.
We keep quotations, booking instructions, confirmations, changes, payment schedules, supplier correspondence and records needed to deliver or account for the booking. For a Lipa Pole Pole arrangement, this includes the agreed instalments, due dates, payments and outstanding balance. We may receive confirmation and operational information from the suppliers involved in your journey.
We request identity documents or sensitive travel records only where reasonably necessary for a specified service, verification or legal requirement. Do not attach passport copies or unrelated identity documents to an initial general enquiry unless we have explained why they are needed and how to provide them.
4. Health, accessibility and children's information
Where relevant to a requested itinerary, you may tell us about accessibility needs, mobility limitations, allergies, dietary requirements or other health-related matters. We use necessary information to assess arrangements and communicate appropriate needs to the relevant supplier. Sensitive information requires an appropriate legal basis and any additional consent or safeguards required by law. We do not use health information to target promotions.
An adult normally supplies information about children travelling in their care. We use children’s details only as needed to arrange and provide their travel, meet supplier or legal requirements and protect their welfare. The adult must be authorised to provide those details, and we may request evidence of that authority where appropriate. A parent or legal guardian’s permission is sought where consent is required; a child’s best interests remain relevant to every use.
Our enquiry and booking process is intended to be completed by adults. If a child has supplied information without appropriate authority, contact us so that we can assess and remove or otherwise protect it as required. We do not treat a family booking as permission to send marketing directly to a child or to publish a child’s image.
5. Information about other people
A lead traveller, family member, employer, travel agent or destination-management partner may provide information on behalf of a travelling party. They should have authority to share it, tell those people what is being supplied and make this Policy available to them. We may verify instructions or communicate directly with an individual where needed to protect their information or manage the booking.
We may share practical booking information with the authorised lead contact, such as confirmations, balances and itinerary changes. We do not treat that role as unrestricted access to another traveller’s confidential health information or as authority to give marketing or photography consent for other adults. Emergency contacts’ details are used for the relevant contact and assistance purpose, not automatically added to promotional lists.
6. Payment and transaction records
Payments may be arranged outside the website or through an approved bank, mobile-money service, payment link or other provider. We process the payer’s name, payment amount, date, transaction reference, booking allocation, payment status and correspondence needed to verify, reconcile or refund a payment. If needed for an authorised refund, we may request the recipient or account information necessary to make it.
The payment provider separately handles information required by its service and its own verification and legal obligations. We do not ask you to send banking passwords, card security codes or mobile-money PINs by email, WhatsApp or an enquiry form. The fact that we receive a payment confirmation does not mean that we receive every financial credential held by the provider.
We may use relevant transaction, booking and correspondence records to investigate suspected fraud, resolve a payment dispute, answer a chargeback or meet accounting obligations. Information supplied for those purposes is limited to what is reasonably necessary.
7. Website data, cookies and external features
When a browser requests our website or an external resource used on it, the receiving service necessarily receives connection information such as an IP address, browser details, the requested resource and request time. Website and hosting systems may use technical records for delivery, troubleshooting, security and preventing misuse. Cookies or similar browser storage can support site functionality, preferences and third-party features; their presence depends on the features used and browser settings.
The site uses WordPress and Elementor for pages and enquiry forms, LiteSpeed for performance, GTranslate for language features, and Trustindex features that display Google or Tripadvisor reviews. Some resources are delivered from external content-delivery services. Loading or interacting with these features can send connection information to the relevant provider; using translation or an external review service can involve that provider’s own processing and policies. Social-media and WhatsApp links take you to services governed by their respective privacy terms.
You can review, clear or block cookies and site storage through your browser and restrict third-party content using your browser’s privacy controls. Blocking storage or external resources may affect translation or other functionality. Those settings do not necessarily prevent all connection information from being transmitted when a resource is requested. Contact us if you need another way to make an enquiry.
Visiting the website or accepting these documents is not blanket consent to advertising tracking. If we introduce a non-essential technology that requires consent, we will explain its purpose and seek that permission before using it. We will update the information provided about website technologies when material changes are made.
8. Purposes and grounds for using information
We use enquiry and traveller information to respond to requests, prepare quotations, assess requested arrangements, make reservations, coordinate suppliers, communicate updates and provide support. Processing needed to take steps you request before booking or to perform our agreement is based on those contractual purposes. Information genuinely required to provide a service may be necessary even where you do not wish to receive marketing.
We use financial and booking records to administer payments, instalments, refunds and accounts, and to meet legal and regulatory duties. We may also process proportionate information for legitimate business purposes, including site security, preventing fraud, handling complaints, establishing or defending claims and maintaining reliable operational records, while considering the impact on your privacy and rights. A general business interest does not authorise unlimited collection or indefinite retention.
Where consent is required, including for optional direct marketing, identifiable promotional media and relevant sensitive-information uses, we seek a specific choice. You may decline or withdraw it. In an emergency, necessary information may be used or disclosed on another lawful basis to protect a person’s vital interests. We will explain a materially different proposed purpose and obtain new permission where required rather than assuming the original permission covers it.
9. Booking messages and optional marketing
We may use your supplied contact details for quotation follow-up, payment reminders, itinerary changes, service information, safety matters and customer support. These communications relate to your enquiry or booking. Unsubscribing from promotions does not prevent necessary messages about an active booking or a legal obligation.
Travel inspiration, offers, newsletters and other promotional messages are optional and require consent where applicable. A marketing choice is separate from submitting an enquiry or accepting booking terms. You do not have to agree to promotions to request a quotation or travel with us. We do not sell customer personal information.
To stop promotional messages, use the unsubscribe or opt-out instruction in the message, reply asking us to stop, or email info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com. You may opt out of all marketing rather than only selected topics. We will action the request without charging a fee and within the applicable legal period. We may retain a minimal suppression record so that an old contact list does not cause you to be subscribed again.
10. Photographs, video and testimonials
Staff, guides or a photographer may capture photographs or video during a trip or event. Tell the team if you do not want to be included. Before using identifiable images, voices or testimonials for promotion, we seek informed permission explaining the intended use. Attendance, a booking, a group photograph or a public social-media tag does not itself give JohnBow unrestricted promotional rights.
Agreed promotional uses may include our website, social media, advertising, brochures, digital campaigns and authorised promotional channels. We record the permission and its scope, and limit use accordingly. Separate appropriate permission is needed for a child. You can decline promotional use without affecting the travel service you have booked.
To withdraw consent or query an image, email info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com with enough information to locate it, such as a page link or trip date. We will stop new consent-based use and take reasonable steps to remove the material from channels under our control. Earlier lawful publication is not made unlawful by withdrawal. Distributed print copies or independent reposts may not be fully retrievable, but we will explain any limitation and act where we have control or a legal duty. Private feedback is not automatically published as a testimonial.
11. Who receives information
Our team and authorised service providers receive information needed for their roles. Depending on your arrangements, relevant information may be shared with airlines, hotels, camps, lodges, guides, ground operators, transport providers, activity providers and permit or destination authorities to reserve and deliver the services. For example, a carrier may need a passenger’s document-matching name, while a lodge may need rooming or dietary details; they do not each need your complete enquiry history.
Banks and payment providers receive relevant information for payments, verification and disputes. Website, hosting, email, maintenance and communications providers can process information in supporting our operations. Professional advisers, insurers or assistance providers may receive relevant records when reasonably required for advice, a claim or assistance. Authorities may receive information where disclosure is legally required or lawfully necessary to protect rights and safety.
We limit disclosures to their purpose. Providers acting on our instructions should handle information under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection obligations. Independent suppliers may decide their own lawful processing purposes, including passenger records and mandatory reporting, and their own privacy notices apply to that processing. A supplier relationship is not permission to sell your details or add you to unrelated marketing lists.
12. International travel and data transfers
Travel outside Kenya and the use of international suppliers or technology services can require information to be processed in another country. The destinations and recipients depend on your itinerary and the services used. For example, an overseas accommodation provider may need guest details to reserve and provide your stay.
Transfers must comply with the applicable laws of Kenya. Depending on the circumstances, the lawful route may involve appropriate contractual or other recognised safeguards, a permitted necessity connected with your requested travel, or specific informed consent where required. Sensitive information requires any additional safeguards the law prescribes. We do not treat acceptance of this Policy as a waiver of transfer protections or a guarantee that all foreign laws are identical to Kenyan law. Contact us for information about the recipients and safeguards relevant to your booking.
13. How long information is kept
Retention depends on the purpose, sensitivity of the information, booking status, applicable legal requirements and whether a dispute or investigation is active. An unanswered enquiry does not justify keeping every detail indefinitely. Enquiry information is kept for a reasonable period to respond and follow up, then deleted or reduced when no longer needed unless another lawful purpose applies.
Confirmed booking, payment, instalment, refund and accounting records may need to remain after travel to meet legal, financial and contractual obligations or resolve claims. Necessary records may also be retained for fraud prevention, security or an active dispute. Identity copies, health details and emergency information should be kept only for as long as their particular purpose or a lawful retention requirement remains; they are not automatically retained for as long as every accounting record.
Marketing records are kept while the relevant permission and purpose remain, with a minimal opt-out record retained where needed to respect your preference. Media and consent records are reviewed against the permitted use and withdrawal requests. Information no longer required is deleted, anonymised or securely disposed of. Backup copies may remain until their normal replacement cycle, with access restricted and deletion choices applied if restored. You may ask about the retention basis for a particular record.
14. Security and your communications
We use reasonable organisational and technical precautions appropriate to the information and the way it is handled, including restricting access to authorised people and using supported business systems. No website, email service or communication channel can be guaranteed completely secure. We do not make an absolute guarantee against unauthorised access, loss or interception.
Take care when forwarding booking records, sharing devices or sending identity documents. Contact us to agree an appropriate route if information is particularly sensitive. Verify unexpected requests for payment or personal information through our published contact details. If you suspect an information-security incident involving JohnBow, notify us promptly. We will assess incidents and make any notifications required by applicable law.
15. Your choices and privacy rights
Subject to the conditions and exceptions in applicable law, you may ask to be informed about processing, access personal information we hold about you, correct inaccurate or incomplete information, object to or restrict relevant processing, and request deletion of information that is no longer lawfully needed. You may withdraw consent and, where applicable, request a portable copy of information or safeguards concerning a decision based solely on automated processing that has a significant effect on you.
Send requests to info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com, describing the information or concern and any relevant booking reference. We may request proportionate identity or authority verification to avoid disclosing another person’s records. We will not routinely require excessive identity material. An authorised representative may act for you where their authority can be established.
We will respond within the period required by applicable law, explain any lawful limit or refusal and identify available next steps. Access may need to be limited to protect another person’s information, legal privilege or a lawful investigation. Declining information genuinely necessary to arrange a service may prevent that service from being provided; declining optional marketing does not.
16. Deletion requests and retention exceptions
You can request deletion of eligible personal information by emailing info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com. We will assess what can be removed and explain what must remain and why. A deletion request does not automatically erase an active booking, payment obligation, transaction record, legal requirement or evidence relevant to an unresolved claim.
Information may be retained where reasonably necessary and lawful for financial or accounting duties, performance of an ongoing contract, fraud prevention, security, a legal claim or another specific legitimate purpose. The exception must relate to the information retained; a possible future business use is not sufficient by itself. Where possible, we will restrict further use of retained records and remove unnecessary detail. Withdrawal of marketing consent will still be respected even where some booking records must remain.
17. External services and public reviews
If you contact us through WhatsApp or a social platform, that provider also handles information under its own terms. Public reviews on Google, Tripadvisor or similar services may display your chosen profile name, photograph and review content, including when a review feature displays them on our site. Avoid including private travel-document, payment or other people’s sensitive details in a public review.
Links and embedded features do not bring an independent provider’s systems under JohnBow’s control. You may need to contact that provider to change a public review or exercise rights over information it controls. We will still address requests concerning processing for which JohnBow is responsible.
18. Complaints, updates and contact
Please contact us if you believe information has been mishandled or a request has not been properly addressed. We will investigate and explain our response. You may also complain to Kenya’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner through its official website, www.odpc.go.ke, or use another competent authority or legal remedy available to you. You do not have to waive that right or exhaust an internal process before approaching the regulator.
This Policy is applied in accordance with the laws of Kenya and any other mandatory requirements that apply to the processing. We may update it when services, technology or legal requirements change. The effective date identifies the current version. Where a change materially affects your information, we will provide an appropriate notice and seek new consent if required; an update does not retrospectively expand an earlier permission.
JohnBow Tours and Travel Limited. Kenya Cinema Plaza, 3rd Floor, Room 3-8, Moi Avenue, Nairobi, Kenya. Privacy and general enquiries: info@johnbowtoursandtravel.com. Booking support: enquiries@johnbowtoursandtravel.com. Telephone: +254 758 943 291 or +254 794 884 226.