PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: November 9, 2025

Who We Are

dourovalleywinetours.com is an informational website that helps travelers discover and compare Douro Valley tours. We provide information about tours operated by third-party partners including Viator, Tiqets, GetYourGuide, and other tour providers. We do not operate tours ourselves.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide
We collect minimal personal information directly. When you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter, we may collect:
- Name and email address
- Any information you include in your messages to us

Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, we automatically collect:
- IP address and browser type
- Pages you visit and time spent on our site
- Referring website (how you found us)
- Device information (mobile, desktop, tablet)
- Click data when you interact with partner links

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies for this purpose.

Information Collected by Third Parties
When you click through to our partners (Viator, Tiqets, GetYourGuide, etc.) and book tours, those companies collect and process your information according to their own privacy policies. We don't have access to your booking details, payment information, or personal data you provide to them.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:
- Operate and improve our website
- Respond to your inquiries
- Send newsletters (only if you've opted in)
- Analyze website traffic and user behavior
- Display relevant tour information
- Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

Affiliate Relationships and Commissions

Important Disclosure: We participate in affiliate programs with Viator, Tiqets, GetYourGuide, and other tour operators. When you click on tour links and make a booking through our partner sites, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

This means:
- We may track which links you click using cookies and tracking pixels
- Our partners may share limited data about bookings (like that a booking occurred) but not your personal details
- Commissions help us maintain this free resource for travelers

Our recommendations are based on tour quality and traveler value, not commission rates.

Third-Party Services and Their Privacy Policies

When you book tours through our partner links, you're subject to their privacy policies:

Viator: https://www.viator.com/privacy
Tiqets: https://www.tiqets.com/privacy

We recommend reviewing their policies before booking. We're not responsible for how these companies collect, use, or protect your information.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use several types of cookies:

Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (Google Analytics)

Affiliate Tracking Cookies: Track clicks to partner sites so we can receive commissions for bookings

Advertising Cookies: May be used by third-party ad networks to show relevant ads

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality and our ability to earn commissions that support this free resource.

Marketing Communications

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we'll send you:
- Douro Valley travel tips and guides
- Featured tour recommendations
- Seasonal travel information

You can unsubscribe anytime using the link in any email or by contacting us.

We use third-party email service providers (like Mailchimp or similar) to send newsletters. They have access to your email address and name for this purpose only.

Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your information:
- SSL encryption for data transmission
- Secure hosting providers
- Limited access to any personal data we collect
- Regular security updates

However, no internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain information for:
- Contact form inquiries: 2 years
- Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
- Website analytics: 26 months (Google Analytics default, if connected)
- Affiliate tracking data: As required by partner agreements

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to:

Access: Request what information we have about you
Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate information
Deletion: Request deletion of your information
Objection: Opt out of certain data processing
Portability: Request your data in a portable format

To exercise these rights, contact us at [contact dourovalleywinetours.com]

Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to tour operators, wineries, hotels, and other third-party websites. We're not responsible for their privacy practices or content. Please review their privacy policies before sharing personal information.

Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under 16. We don't knowingly collect information from children. If you believe we've collected information from a child, contact us immediately.

International Data Transfers

Our website is accessible globally. If you're outside the European Union, your information may be transferred to and processed in the EU or other countries where our service providers operate.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site. Google Analytics collects information anonymously and reports website trends without identifying individual visitors.

You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the [Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on](https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout).

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

Questions about this privacy policy?

Email: contact dourovalleywinetours.com

For EU residents: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we've mishandled your information.

Legal Basis for Processing (EU Residents)

We process personal data based on:
- Consent: Newsletter subscriptions, cookie usage (you can withdraw anytime)
- Legitimate Interest: Website analytics, affiliate tracking, improving our content
- Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights:
- Right to know what personal information we collect
- Right to delete personal information
- Right to opt out of sale of personal information (we don't sell personal information)
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at [contact dourovalleywinetours.com]

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This privacy policy applies to dourovalleywinetours.com. It does not apply to third-party tour operators, booking platforms, or other websites linked from our site.