Privacy Policy

Karena Travel respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information when you visit karenatravel.com, request a quotation, make a booking, contact us, communicate with us through WhatsApp, email or telephone, or use our private transfer, chauffeur or private tour services.

This Privacy Policy is intended to provide information in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 (“KVKK”) and, where applicable to our processing activities, the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

1. Data Controller

For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the operator of Karena Travel acts as the data controller in relation to personal data processed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Contact details:

Karena Travel

Website: karenatravel.com Email: info@karenatravel.com Telephone / WhatsApp: +90 (544) 411 00 72 Türkiye

TÜRSAB Class-A Travel Agency License No.: 16422

2. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal information.

Identity Information

This may include:

• First name
• Last name
• Passenger name
• Title; and
• Other identification information necessary to provide a requested service

Contact Information

This may include:

• Telephone number
• Email address
• WhatsApp contact information
• Country of residence; and
• Other contact information you voluntarily provide

Booking and Travel Information

This may include:

• Pickup location
• Destination
• Hotel, villa, marina or accommodation information
• Travel dates and times
• Flight number
• Airport information
• Flight arrival or departure information
• Number of passengers
• Return transfer details
• Requested vehicle
• Tour itinerary
• Luggage information; and
• Special service requests

Payment and Transaction Information

We may process information regarding:

• Amount paid
• Currency
• Payment status
• Transaction identifier
• Invoice information
• Refund information; and
• Payment method

Where card or online payments are processed by an external payment provider, sensitive card information may be collected and processed directly by the relevant payment provider rather than being stored by Karena Travel.

Communications

We may keep records of communications made through:

• Email
• WhatsApp
• Telephone
• Website enquiry forms
• Customer support channels; and
• Social media

These communications may include information relating to bookings, changes, complaints, requests, preferences and customer support.

Technical and Website Information

When you use our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including where applicable:

• IP address
• Device type
• Browser type
• Operating system
• Language
• Approximate location derived from IP address
• Pages visited
• Referring website
• Date and time of visits
• Cookie identifiers; and
• Website interaction information

Feedback and Reviews

If you voluntarily submit feedback, a review, testimonial, survey response or similar content, we may process the information you provide for customer service and, where legally permitted, marketing or promotional purposes.

3. Information About Other Passengers

A person making a booking may provide personal information about other passengers.

If you provide another person's personal information to Karena Travel, you are responsible for ensuring that you are authorized to provide that information where required by applicable law.

You should inform other passengers that their information may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

4. Special Requests and Sensitive Information

Please avoid providing sensitive personal information unless it is necessary for us to safely provide the requested transportation service.

For example, where a passenger voluntarily informs us about an accessibility or health-related requirement, we will process that information only where necessary and where an appropriate legal basis exists under applicable law.

We do not intentionally request unnecessary medical or other sensitive personal data.

5. How We Collect Personal Data

We may collect personal data:

• Directly from you through our website
• When you make a booking
• When you request a quotation
• Through WhatsApp
• By telephone
• By email
• Through payment providers
• Through authorized travel partners
• From a person booking on your behalf
• From publicly available flight information services
• Through cookies and similar technologies; and
• During the performance of your transportation or tour service

6. How We Use Personal Data

We may process personal information for the following purposes:

Providing Our Services

We use personal data to:

• Process bookings
• Confirm reservations
• Arrange vehicles and chauffeurs
• Coordinate pickup and drop-off
• Monitor relevant flights
• Manage delays and schedule changes
• Provide child seats or other requested services
• Communicate with passengers and booking contacts; and
• Complete transfers and private tours

Customer Support

We may use your information to:

• Respond to questions
• Manage booking changes
• Handle cancellation and refund requests
• Resolve complaints
• Assist with lost property; and
• Provide pre-trip, during-trip and post-trip support

Payments and Accounting

We may process transaction information to:

• Collect payments
• Confirm payment status
• Issue invoices
• Process refunds
• Maintain accounting records; and
• Prevent fraudulent transactions

Safety and Security

Information may be processed where reasonably necessary to:

• Protect passengers and drivers
• Prevent fraud or misuse
• Investigate incidents
• Protect our vehicles and property; and
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims

Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We may process information where necessary to comply with:

• Tax and accounting requirements
• Tourism and transportation regulations
• Court orders
• Requests from competent public authorities
• Data protection legislation; and
• Other applicable legal obligations

Service Improvement and Analytics

We may use information to:

• Understand how customers use our website
• Improve booking processes
• Measure website performance
• Improve routes and services
• Identify technical problems; and
• Develop new services

Marketing

Where permitted by applicable law, we may use contact information to send information about:

• Promotions
• Seasonal transfer offers
• New destinations
• Private tours; and
• Other Karena Travel services

Where consent is legally required, marketing communications will only be sent with the necessary consent.

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

7. Legal Bases for Processing

Depending on the circumstances and applicable legislation, we may process personal data on one or more of the following legal grounds:

• Processing is necessary to perform a contract with you or take steps at your request before entering into a contract
• Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation
• Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided those interests do not override applicable privacy rights
• Processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or protection of legal rights
• Processing is necessary to protect vital interests in appropriate circumstances; or
• You have provided consent where consent is required

Under Turkish data protection legislation, processing will be carried out based on an applicable processing condition under KVKK.

Where GDPR applies, processing will be based on an applicable lawful basis under GDPR.

8. Who We Share Personal Data With

We do not sell your personal information.

We may disclose information where reasonably necessary to:

Drivers and Transportation Partners

Passenger names, contact details, pickup information, destination and relevant booking information may be provided to the chauffeur or transportation partner responsible for providing your service.

Payment Providers and Financial Institutions

Transaction information may be shared with payment processors, banks, card networks and other payment service providers where necessary to process payments or refunds.

Technology Providers

We may use third-party companies providing:

• Website hosting
• Cloud storage
• Booking technology
• Email
• Customer support software
• Website analytics
• Cybersecurity
• Backup services; and
• Other IT infrastructure

Communication Platforms

Where you communicate with us using an external messaging platform such as WhatsApp, your information may also be processed by the provider of that service in accordance with its own privacy practices.

Professional Advisers

Where necessary, information may be disclosed to accountants, lawyers, insurers, auditors and professional consultants.

Government and Regulatory Authorities

We may disclose personal information where required or permitted by law to courts, police authorities, tax authorities, tourism or transportation authorities, data protection regulators or other competent public authorities.

Business Transactions

If all or part of the business is sold, reorganized, merged or transferred, relevant personal information may be disclosed to professional advisers and prospective or actual business successors, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal safeguards.

9. International Transfers

Some service providers used in connection with our website, communications, payments, hosting or technology infrastructure may operate outside Türkiye.

As a result, personal data may in certain circumstances be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from another country.

Where personal data is transferred internationally, we will take measures required by applicable data protection legislation.

Transfers of personal data outside Türkiye will be handled in accordance with the applicable provisions of KVKK and regulations concerning international transfers.

Where GDPR applies, international transfers will be subject to an appropriate transfer mechanism or other lawful safeguard where required.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting, insurance and dispute-resolution requirements.

Retention periods may differ depending on the type of information.

For example:

• Booking information may be retained for customer service, accounting and legal purposes
• Financial information may be retained for statutory accounting and tax periods
• Communications may be retained while reasonably necessary to handle the relevant booking or dispute
• Marketing information may be retained until consent is withdrawn or an objection is received, where applicable; and
• Technical and analytics information may be retained according to the relevant system or cookie retention period

When personal information is no longer required and there is no lawful basis for retaining it, we will delete, destroy, anonymize or otherwise dispose of it in accordance with applicable law.

11. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against:

• Unauthorized access
• Unauthorized disclosure
• Accidental loss
• Alteration
• Destruction; and
• Unlawful processing

These measures may include access controls, secure systems, authentication procedures, limited employee access, backup measures and appropriate contractual safeguards with service providers.

However, no website, communication platform or electronic storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

12. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Enable essential website functionality
• Remember settings and preferences
• Support booking functionality
• Maintain website security
• Understand website traffic
• Measure performance; and
• Improve user experience

Some cookies may be provided by third-party services.

Where required by applicable law, non-essential cookies will only be used after obtaining the appropriate consent.

Users may also control certain cookies through their browser settings.

Disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.

13. Your Rights Under KVKK

Where Turkish Personal Data Protection Law No. 6698 applies, you may have rights relating to your personal data, including the right to request information concerning:

• Whether your personal data has been processed
• Information about the processing if it has occurred
• The purposes for which your personal data is processed and whether it is used in accordance with those purposes
• Third parties to whom personal data has been transferred in Türkiye or abroad
• Correction of incomplete or inaccurate personal data
• Deletion or destruction of personal data where applicable legal conditions are satisfied
• Notification of correction, deletion or destruction to relevant third parties where required
• Objection to certain outcomes arising from exclusively automated processing; and
• Compensation where you suffer damage due to unlawful processing, where provided by applicable law

Requests will be handled in accordance with applicable KVKK procedures.

14. Rights Under GDPR

Where GDPR applies to the processing of your personal data, you may, depending on the circumstances, have rights including:

• The right of access
• The right to rectification
• The right to erasure
• The right to restriction of processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to object to certain processing
• The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• Rights relating to certain automated decision-making activities

You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory authority.

Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

15. Exercising Your Privacy Rights

To make a privacy request, you may contact us at:

Email: info@karenatravel.com

Your request should contain sufficient information for us to identify you and understand your request.

We may request additional information where reasonably necessary to verify identity and protect personal information against unauthorized disclosure.

Requests will be handled within the periods required by applicable law.

16. Marketing Communications

You may unsubscribe from promotional communications at any time by:

• Using an unsubscribe option where provided
• Replying to the relevant communication
• Contacting us by email; or
• Asking our customer support team to remove you from marketing communications

Opting out of marketing communications will not prevent us from sending essential communications relating to an existing booking, payment, service or legal matter.

17. Children

Our transportation services may be used by children travelling with a parent, guardian or responsible adult.

Our website and booking services are not intended to collect personal information directly from children who are not legally capable of making their own booking.

Bookings involving children should be made by an adult.

Where information about a child is necessary to provide a requested service, such as arranging an appropriate child seat, we will process only the information reasonably necessary for that purpose.

18. Third-Party Websites and Platforms

Our website may contain links to or integrations with third-party platforms including:

• Payment providers
• WhatsApp
• Social media services
• Review websites
• Mapping services; and
• Other external websites

Those services operate under their own terms and privacy policies.

We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by any third-party platform you use.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect:

• Changes to our services
• Changes to technology
• Changes to how we process information; or
• Changes in applicable legislation

The current version will be published on our website and identified by the “Last Updated” date shown above.

Where a material change requires additional notification or consent under applicable law, we will take the appropriate steps.

20. Contact Us

For questions, requests or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact:

Karena Travel

Website: karenatravel.com Email: info@karenatravel.com Telephone / WhatsApp: +90 (544) 411 00 72 Türkiye

TÜRSAB Class-A Travel Agency License No.: 16422