PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated: September 2026
The World Locals respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit theworldlocals.com, contact us, subscribe to our communications or otherwise interact with The World Locals.
The World Locals is operated by Charles John Gaffney, trading as The World Locals, in the United Kingdom. For the purposes of UK data protection law, Charles John Gaffney is the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this policy.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, you can contact us at hello@theworldlocals.com.
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
The information we collect depends on how you interact with The World Locals.
Information you provide to us
When you contact us through the website, including through our Contact or Partner With Us forms, we may collect information such as:
your name
email address
company or organisation
website
details of your enquiry
proposed partnership information
any other information you choose to include in your message
Form submissions are processed through Squarespace and stored within Squarespace Contacts so that we can review, manage and respond to enquiries.
If you subscribe to The World Locals newsletter or other email communications, we may collect your name, email address, subscription preferences and information relating to your interaction with those communications.
Newsletter subscriptions and email campaigns are managed using Squarespace Email Campaigns.
If you contact us directly by email or through another communication channel, we may retain your contact information and the contents of that correspondence.
Please avoid including sensitive personal information in forms or correspondence unless it is genuinely necessary for your enquiry.
Information collected automatically
When you visit The World Locals, certain technical and usage information may be collected automatically.
This may include:
browser and device information
approximate geographic location
referring website or traffic source
pages viewed
time spent on the website
interactions with our content
general website and session information
We use Squarespace Analytics and Google Analytics to help us understand how visitors discover and use the website.
Some of this information may be collected through cookies and similar technologies.
For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We may use personal information to:
operate and maintain The World Locals
respond to general enquiries
respond to editorial feedback and correction requests
review and respond to partnership enquiries
manage relationships with partners, contributors and other organisations
respond to press and media enquiries
send newsletters and communications you have chosen to receive
understand how visitors discover and use the website
measure the performance of our content
improve our website, content and reader experience
support affiliate attribution
protect the security and integrity of the website
prevent misuse, spam or fraudulent activity
comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations
We will not use your personal information for purposes that are incompatible with those described in this Privacy Policy unless we have an appropriate lawful basis for doing so.
OUR LAWFUL BASES FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL INFORMATION
Under UK data protection law, we must have an appropriate lawful basis for processing personal information.
The lawful basis we rely on depends on how and why the information is being used.
Consent
We may rely on your consent when you:
subscribe to our newsletter or marketing communications
accept certain non-essential cookies or analytics technologies
otherwise specifically agree to a particular use of your information
Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Legitimate interests
We may rely on our legitimate interests where processing is reasonably necessary to operate, protect and improve The World Locals, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.
These interests may include:
responding to enquiries
operating and improving our publication
understanding the performance of our website and content
maintaining relationships with readers, contributors and potential partners
protecting the website against misuse, spam or security threats
administering our business
Contract
We may process personal information where it is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into a contract or to perform an agreement with you.
This may apply, for example, to certain commercial partnerships or other working arrangements.
Legal obligation
We may process or retain personal information where necessary to comply with an applicable legal, regulatory, accounting or tax obligation.
CONTACT AND PARTNERSHIP ENQUIRIES
When you submit a form through The World Locals, we use the information you provide to receive, review, manage and respond to your enquiry.
Our website is hosted by Squarespace, and form submissions are processed through Squarespace and stored within Squarespace Contacts.
Squarespace therefore processes certain personal information on our behalf as part of providing its website and contact-management services.
We will not add you to The World Locals newsletter simply because you contact us through a general enquiry, editorial, press or partnership form.
You will only receive marketing communications where you have separately chosen to receive them or where another lawful basis permits us to contact you.
EMAIL NEWSLETTER
The World Locals uses Squarespace Email Campaigns to manage and send newsletters and other email communications.
If you choose to subscribe, we may use your email address and other subscription information to send you travel content, updates and communications from The World Locals.
Where required, we rely on your consent to do this.
You may unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link contained within our emails.
Withdrawing from marketing communications will not prevent us from contacting you where necessary in relation to a separate enquiry, partnership or other existing relationship.
We may retain limited information about an unsubscribe request where necessary to ensure we continue to respect your preference.
ANALYTICS AND WEBSITE PERFORMANCE
We use analytics and performance tools to understand how The World Locals is discovered and how visitors interact with our content.
Squarespace Analytics
Squarespace provides website analytics that help us understand information such as website traffic, referrals, visitor activity and the performance of different pages and content.
We use this information to understand our readership and improve the website.
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors find and interact with The World Locals.
Depending on your consent choices and our configuration, Google Analytics may process information relating to:
website visits and sessions
pages viewed
interactions with content
browser and device information
approximate geographic location
traffic and referral sources
Where Google Analytics cookies or other non-essential technologies require consent, they are subject to your cookie preferences.
We configure our Google Analytics property to retain applicable user-level and event-level data for 14 months.
This retention setting does not necessarily affect aggregated reporting data available within Google Analytics.
Google Search Console
We use Google Search Console to understand how The World Locals performs within Google Search.
This provides information such as:
search queries
impressions
clicks
search positioning
pages appearing in search results
We use this information to understand search performance and improve the usefulness and discoverability of our content.
AFFILIATE LINKS AND TRAVELPAYOUTS
The World Locals participates in affiliate marketing programmes, including Travelpayouts.
Some of our articles and guides may contain affiliate links, widgets or other tools relating to travel products and services such as accommodation, tours, transport or experiences.
If you click an affiliate link or interact with an affiliate tool, Travelpayouts or the relevant travel provider may use cookies or similar technologies to record the referral and determine whether a booking or purchase should be attributed to The World Locals.
Where legally required, affiliate tracking technologies are subject to your cookie preferences.
The World Locals may receive a commission when you make a qualifying booking or purchase through certain affiliate links. This does not normally increase the price you pay.
For more information about our approach to affiliate relationships, advertising and commercial partnerships, please see our Editorial & Commercial Disclosure.
COOKIES AND SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES
The World Locals uses cookies and similar technologies for purposes including:
essential website functionality
remembering preferences
website analytics
measuring website performance
affiliate attribution
Where consent is required, non-essential cookies and similar technologies are controlled through our website's cookie consent system.
You can use these controls to manage your preferences.
For more information about the cookies and similar technologies used by The World Locals, please see our Cookie Policy.
WHO WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION WITH
We do not sell your personal information.
Personal information may be processed by trusted third parties that help us operate The World Locals.
These currently include:
Squarespace
Squarespace provides:
website hosting and functionality
form processing
Squarespace Contacts
Squarespace Analytics
Squarespace Email Campaigns
Squarespace may therefore process information on our behalf when you use or interact with these services.
We use Google services including Google Analytics and Google Search Console for website analytics and search performance measurement.
Google may process relevant information in accordance with its own terms and privacy practices.
Travelpayouts
Travelpayouts provides affiliate marketing and attribution services where you interact with relevant affiliate links, widgets or tools.
Professional advisers and authorities
Where appropriate, we may also share relevant information with professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers or insurers.
We may disclose information to courts, regulators, law-enforcement bodies or other authorities where we are legally required or permitted to do so.
We only share personal information where there is a legitimate reason for doing so.
INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS
Some of the organisations we use to operate The World Locals are international businesses and may process information outside the United Kingdom.
This may include Squarespace, Google and providers involved in our affiliate or technology services.
Where personal information is transferred outside the UK and data protection law requires additional safeguards, the relevant provider may rely on appropriate mechanisms such as:
UK adequacy regulations
approved contractual safeguards
recognised international data-transfer frameworks
other legally permitted transfer mechanisms
Information about the privacy and international transfer practices of individual providers can be found in their respective privacy policies.
HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION
We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including where information needs to be retained for legal, accounting or regulatory reasons.
Our general approach is as follows.
Contact and partnership enquiries
We aim to retain information relating to general, editorial, media and partnership enquiries for up to 24 months after the last meaningful interaction.
We may retain information for longer where there is an active or ongoing relationship, a contractual arrangement or another legitimate or legal reason for doing so.
Newsletter subscribers
We may retain subscription information while you remain subscribed to The World Locals communications.
If you unsubscribe, limited information may continue to be retained where necessary to record your opt-out preference and ensure we do not contact you contrary to that preference.
Google Analytics
Applicable user-level and event-level Google Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months.
Aggregated reports may remain available beyond this period.
Affiliate information
Information relating to affiliate tracking is retained according to the policies and settings of Travelpayouts and the relevant affiliate programme or travel provider.
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we will delete or anonymise it where practicable.
HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against:
accidental loss
misuse
unauthorised access
unauthorised disclosure
alteration
destruction
We also rely on established technology providers such as Squarespace and Google to maintain appropriate security controls within the services they provide.
However, no website, online service or electronic method of storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
YOUR DATA PROTECTION RIGHTS
Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis on which your information is processed, UK data protection law may give you rights including the right to:
request access to personal information we hold about you
ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information
request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances
request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
object to certain uses of your personal information
request portability of certain information
withdraw consent where processing is based on your consent
These rights are not absolute in every situation and may depend on the circumstances and the lawful basis being used.
To exercise any of these rights, contact:
We may need to ask you for information reasonably necessary to confirm your identity before responding to a request.
YOUR RIGHT TO OBJECT
Where we process your personal information on the basis of legitimate interests, you may have the right to object to that processing.
You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.
If you wish to object, contact hello@theworldlocals.com.
The ICO specifically requires the right to object to be brought clearly and separately to people's attention. (Information Commissioner's Office)
WITHDRAWING CONSENT
Where we rely on your consent to process personal information, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
For newsletter communications, you can do this by using the unsubscribe link included in our emails.
For relevant cookies and similar technologies, you can manage your choices through the cookie controls available on the website.
You can also contact us at hello@theworldlocals.com.
Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
COMPLAINTS
If you have concerns about how The World Locals collects or uses your personal information, please contact us at:
You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent regulator for data protection and information rights.
You do not need to contact us before raising a concern with the ICO, although we would welcome the opportunity to address any issue directly.
THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES
The World Locals regularly links to third-party websites and services, including:
hotels and accommodation providers
restaurants and bars
attractions and experiences
tour operators
airlines and transport providers
booking platforms
tourism organisations
affiliate partners
other travel-related businesses and publications
We do not control how these third parties collect or use personal information.
When you leave The World Locals and visit another website, that organisation's own privacy policy, cookie practices and terms will apply.
We recommend reviewing the relevant policies where appropriate.
CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
The World Locals is not specifically directed at children and we do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children through the website.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to us and would like us to review or remove it, please contact hello@theworldlocals.com.
AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING
The World Locals does not currently use personal information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:
The World Locals
the services and technologies we use
our business activities
applicable laws or regulatory guidance
When we make changes, we will update the Last updated date at the top of this page.
We recommend checking this Privacy Policy periodically.
CONTACT US
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, would like to exercise your data protection rights or have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact:
The World Locals
Charles John Gaffney, trading as The World Locals
Email: hello@theworldlocals.com
Website: theworldlocals.com
United Kingdom