Privacy Policy

NEEDLEWORK TOURS - PRIVACY POLICY

Company Name: Needlework Tours Pty Ltd ABN: 19667708447 Website: www.needleworktours.com.au Effective Date: September 1st 2026

1. OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR PRIVACY

Needlework Tours Pty Ltd ("we", "us", "our") is committed to protecting your personal privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, hold, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you browse our website, subscribe to our newsletter, submit an inquiry, make a booking, or participate in our international tours, retreats, and workshops.

2. TYPES OF INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to operate our business, deliver newsletters, process your bookings, ensure guest safety, and deliver customized travel and workshop experiences.

2.1 Information Collected at Inquiry, Newsletter Sign-Up, or Booking

When you interact with our website, subscribe to our email list, or submit a booking form, we may collect:

• Contact Details: Full name, phone number, email address, and residential billing address;
• Demographic Data: Date of birth and gender collected with bookings. We do not collect this information for a general inquiry or newsletter sign-up;
• Traveling Companions: Name and email address of any accompanying travelers nominated by you; and
• Financial Data: Payment information, including payment card details, is processed through secure third-party payment providers. We do not store full payment card numbers or payment authentication credentials on our own systems (see Clause 5).

2.2 Information Collected Post-Booking & Pre-Commencement

To arrange international travel logistics, accommodation, and safety protocols, we may collect additional information prior to Commencement:

• Identification & Travel Documents: Passport details (passport number, nationality, date of birth, issue/expiry dates, and where necessary, passport copy scans) and visa information. Passport copies are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to complete travel arrangements, comply with supplier requirements, resolve disputes, or meet legal obligations, after which they are securely deleted;
• Emergency Contact Details: Name, relationship, phone number, and email address of your designated emergency contact. By providing your emergency contact's details, you confirm you are responsible for letting them know that their information has been provided to us;
• Travel Logistics: Flight details, arrival/departure schedules, and transit connections;
• Health & Fitness Declarations: Information regarding physical mobility, pre-existing medical conditions, disabilities, or health limitations relevant to itinerary demands;
• Dietary & Allergy Data: Dietary requirements, food preferences, and medical allergy details; and
• Travel Insurance: Insurer name, policy number, and 24/7 overseas emergency assistance contact numbers.

2.3 Sensitive Data Handling

Health information, medical conditions, disability information, and information about medical allergies constitute "sensitive information" under Australian privacy law. We collect sensitive information only with your explicit consent provided on your Booking Form or Pre-Commencement Health Declaration, and use it strictly for your personal safety, welfare, and operational accommodation during the tour.

3. HOW WE COLLECT YOUR INFORMATION

We collect personal information through several channels:

• Direct Interaction: When you fill out newsletter sign-up forms, booking forms, health declarations, or contact forms on our website, or communicate with us via email, phone, or messaging platforms;
• Third-Party Referrals: When a traveling companion submits a booking form on your behalf;
• Automated Website Technologies: As you interact with our website, we automatically collect technical browsing data using cookies, server logs, and analytics tools (see Clause 7); and
• On-Tour Media: Photographs, video footage, or digital media captured by us, our staff, Experience Leaders or Hosts, tutors, or authorized contractors during Experience activities, or voluntarily submitted to us by you. Guests may independently capture and share their own photographs and videos during your Experience, and we encourage all participants to respect the privacy preferences of fellow travelers.

4. PURPOSE OF COLLECTION & USE

We collect, hold, and use your personal information for the following core purposes:

• Experience Delivery & Logistics: Booking hotel accommodation, local ground transport, rail sectors, domestic/international flights, workshop studio spaces, tutors, and attraction entries;
• Safety & Welfare: Assessing health and mobility requirements, managing severe food allergies, and coordinating emergency medical care or insurance claims if required;
• Customer Communication: Sending booking confirmations, payment invoices, pre-departure documentation, Trip Notes, and itinerary updates;
• Website Personalization: Detecting approximate IP location to display relevant regional settings, such as currency or website content;
• Marketing & Promotional Media: Documenting and promoting our tours, retreats, and workshops across our website, social media, printed materials, and marketing campaigns (subject to your photo opt-out rights under our Booking Terms & Conditions); and
• Direct Marketing & Newsletters: We may send marketing communications, email newsletters, special event invitations, and upcoming tour announcements where you have consented to receive them or where otherwise permitted by law (you may unsubscribe at any time).

5. PAYMENT PROCESSING & FINANCIAL SECURITY

We do not store full payment card numbers or payment authentication credentials on our own systems.

All online payment transactions submitted via our website or invoice links are securely handled by third-party payment providers, including providers such as Airwallex or Stripe, which maintain appropriate payment security standards including PCI-DSS compliance where applicable. Payment processors collect, store, and process your financial data under their respective privacy policies and encryption standards.

6. DISCLOSURE & OVERSEAS DATA TRANSFERS

Because we operate international group travel and workshops, delivering your Experience requires sharing specific personal information with third-party operational partners, both within Australia and overseas.

This includes sharing your name and email address with the tutor engaged to lead your workshop, so they can contact you directly with class instructions or materials ahead of your Experience. Where your tutor is located overseas, this disclosure is subject to Clause 6.1 below.

6.1 Operational Overseas Recipients

Depending on your chosen destination, your relevant personal data (such as full name, passport details, visa information, dietary needs, flight numbers, and emergency contact details) may be disclosed to third-party suppliers located in foreign host countries, specifically:

• Hotels, villas, and accommodation providers;
• Local ground handlers, coach companies, transport operators, and local guides;
• Workshop venues, craft studios, and guest instructors/tutors;
• Airlines, rail networks, and ferry/cruise operators; and
• Museums, theater operators, and local attraction ticketing partners.

We disclose only the minimum information necessary for foreign suppliers to fulfill their services and maintain your safety. Some overseas recipients may be located in countries that do not provide the same level of privacy protection as Australia, and we cannot ensure that overseas recipients handle your information in line with Australian privacy standards. By making a booking, you consent to this disclosure and acknowledge that, to the extent it involves an overseas recipient, we are not accountable under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) for how that recipient handles your information, and you may not have redress under that Act for their handling of it. Further detail is set out in our Booking Terms and Conditions.

6.2 Service Providers & Cloud Software

We utilize reputable third-party cloud infrastructure and software services to manage operations, client data, invoicing, and marketing analysis. Examples of technology providers we may use include:

• Database & Workflow Automation:, Make.com;
• Direct Marketing & CRM: ActiveCampaign;
• Accounting & Invoicing: Xero;
• Website Hosting & Geo-Targeting: Vercel (Edge Geo IP analysis); and
• Analytics & Ad Attribution: Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and Meta Pixel.

Data managed through our cloud software providers may be stored or processed in Australia, the United States, or other jurisdictions where those providers operate. These providers process data under their respective privacy policies and security standards.

6.3 Inter-Group Contact Sharing & Group Communication

During or after your Experience, participants often wish to stay in touch, share photos, or join group communication channels (such as WhatsApp groups or group email lists).

Strictly Voluntary: We do not automatically share, publish, or distribute guest email addresses or phone numbers to fellow participants.

In-Person Opt-In: Contact sharing is managed strictly on an opt-in basis at the Commencement of your Experience (for example, via a voluntary contact sign-up sheet provided during your welcome orientation). Adding your details to any group contact list is entirely optional, and you may opt out at any time.

6.4 Corporate Reorganization & Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, corporate restructuring, joint venture, sale of company assets, or transfer of our business (or a portion thereof) to a third-party purchaser, your personal information may be disclosed or transferred to the prospective or actual buyer and their professional advisors as part of the transaction or due diligence process. Any successor entity or acquirer may handle your personal information in accordance with their own privacy policy and applicable privacy laws.

7. COOKIES, ANALYTICS & DIGITAL TRACKING

Our website uses cookies, tracking pixels, and server technologies to enhance your browsing experience, display correct regional settings such as currency, and analyze site traffic.

7.1 Technologies We Use

We use a combination of essential/geolocation, performance and analytics, and marketing and attribution technologies, which may be provided by third parties and may involve your information being processed overseas. For details of the specific providers and technologies currently in use, please refer to our Website Terms of Use.

7.2 Managing Cookie Preferences

You can set your web browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable cookies, please note that some features of our website (such as localized currency display) may not function properly.

8. DATA SECURITY & RETENTION

We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, unauthorized access, misuse, modification, or disclosure using encryption technologies, secure authentication controls, restricted access permissions, and reputable cloud service providers.

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to deliver your Experience, process newsletter subscriptions, handle post-Experience logistics, or comply with statutory legal and accounting requirements (such as Australian taxation record-keeping laws). Passport copies and pre-Commencement health declarations are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to complete travel arrangements, comply with supplier requirements, resolve post-Experience inquiries or insurance claims, or meet legal obligations, after which, where appropriate, the information is securely deleted or de-identified.

9. YOUR RIGHTS & CHOICES

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you hold clear rights regarding your personal information:

• Anonymous Enquiries & Pseudonyms: Where lawful and practicable, you may interact with us anonymously or using a pseudonym (for example, when making an initial general enquiry). We may require identifying information where necessary to respond to your request, provide services, or meet legal obligations. Travel bookings cannot be processed or confirmed anonymously due to legal, regulatory, and operational requirements.
• Access & Correction: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and request corrections if it is inaccurate or out of date.
• Direct Marketing & Newsletter Opt-Out: You can unsubscribe from our marketing emails or newsletters at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link provided in the footer of any promotional email or by contacting us directly.
• Group Sharing Opt-Out: You may decline to have your email address or phone number shared with fellow Experience participants or included in group chats.
• Media Opt-Out: You may opt out of appearing in marketing photography or social media content captured by us by notifying us in writing prior to Commencement or informing your Experience Leader or Host at the start of the Experience.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Officer at .

10. COMPLAINTS & CONTACT DETAILS

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to submit a complaint regarding how we have handled your personal information, please contact us in the first instance:

Privacy Officer Company Name: Needlework Tours Pty Ltd ABN: 19667708447 Email: Postal Address: PO Box 515, Lindfield NSW 2070, Australia

We aim to acknowledge complaints within five (5) business days and provide a written response within a reasonable timeframe, usually within thirty (30) days.

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you may lodge a formal privacy complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

Website: www.oaic.gov.au Phone:

11. THIRD-PARTY LINKS

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or external services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, security, or content of those third-party websites, and we recommend reviewing their respective privacy policies before providing them with any personal information.

12. UPDATES TO THIS POLICY

We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect operational updates, technological shifts, or legal statutory changes. Revised versions will be published on our website with an updated Effective Date.