1. Overview & Our Privacy Commitment
At Simien Mountains Tour (SMT Tour), led by founder Nurlign Hassen, we consider privacy a fundamental aspect of high-standard hospitality. This Privacy Policy details how we gather, utilize, store, and safeguard the personal information you supply when browsing simienmountainstour.com, inquiring about our adventures, or traveling with our expeditions in Ethiopia.
We hold a strict zero-compromise policy: We never sell, rent, monetize, or disclose your personal data or travel plans to third-party advertisers or data brokers.
2. Information We Collect
To organize seamless, compliant expeditions across Ethiopia’s national parks, we collect only the information strictly necessary:
- Personal Identification & Permits: Full name, date of birth, nationality, and passport copy/number — mandatory for issuing Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) permits and domestic flights.
- Contact & Logistics: Email address, mobile/WhatsApp phone numbers, hotel pickup details, and emergency contact information.
- Medical & Dietary Guidelines: Dietary preferences and voluntary health disclosures vital for our wilderness camp cooks and lead mountain guides.
- Technical & Site Browsing: IP address, device type, browser information, and referral URLs collected via anonymous traffic analytics.
3. How We Use Your Information
We process your personal information strictly for legitimate operational purposes:
- •Trek Operation: Booking national park entries, arranging certified armed scouts, assigning private mountain cooks, and reserving mules.
- •Trip Preparation: Supplying customized packing lists, altitude acclimatization guidelines, weather advisories, and voucher confirmations.
- •Mountain Safety & Emergency: Having emergency contact and medical evacuation insurer details accessible to our head guide.
- •Customer Inquiries: Responding to questions submitted through our website or WhatsApp within 24 hours.
4. National Park Permits & Required Disclosures
To comply with Ethiopian federal laws and UNESCO biosphere regulations, traveler names and passport numbers must be submitted to:
- Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA): For official trekking permits, scout assignment, and wildlife tracking logs.
- Domestic Aviation Partners: When booking internal flights.
- Medical & Evacuation Responders: Only in the unlikely event of an emergency.
No information is shared with outside corporate advertisers or third-party organizations.
5. Security & Data Protection
We implement comprehensive administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, destruction, loss, or alteration. All web transmissions are encrypted using industry-standard TLS/SSL. Access to traveler passport details is strictly restricted to senior expedition coordinators.
6. Data Retention Periods
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary:
- Active Booking Data: Retained until the conclusion of your trek.
- Financial & Tax Records: Kept for 5 years for Ethiopian tax compliance.
- Inquiry Messages: Purged periodically if no tour is contracted.
7. Your Rights & Choices
SMT Tour guarantees you the following rights regardless of your country of citizenship:
- Right of Access: Request a full copy of your personal information.
- Right of Rectification: Correct outdated or inaccurate details.
- Right to Erasure: Request complete deletion of your records post-trip.
- Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from seasonal adventure announcements at any time.
8. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
Our website uses lightweight, essential cookies to preserve theme preferences and monitor anonymous traffic patterns to improve site speed. You can configure your browser to reject cookies or alert you when cookies are placed. Disabling cookies will not affect your ability to browse our tours.
9. Third-Party Links
Our website may feature links to external services including Google Maps, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter). SMT Tour has no control over and assumes no responsibility for the privacy practices of third-party platforms.
10. Contacting Our Privacy Team
If you have questions, feedback, or wish to exercise your rights under this Privacy Policy, please reach out directly:
