Privacy policy

This is the website of Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw

Address: Woodrow Wilsonplein 2, 9000 Ghent (Belgium)Company number: BE0407710695privacytov@oost-vlaanderen.be

PROTECTION OF YOUR PRIVACY – CONTROLLER

Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw highly values your privacy and wants to carefully comply with the applicable legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Belgian privacy laws.

In the context of the protection of your personal data, Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw is responsible for processing your personal data.

This Privacy Statement provides information on both our Privacy Policy and the practices and choices that you can use and make concerning the manner in which your data is collected online and how it is used. This statement is clearly posted on our start page and at the bottom of every page on the Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen website.

PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA – PURPOSES AND LEGAL GROUNDS

You are free to acquire information about the tourism products in East Flanders and our services, and to learn about the latest news or our new services without having to provide your personal information. However, when providing certain services, we are required to request certain data, for example if you would like to make a purchase in our web shop.

If you choose to share your personal data with us, we will process this data in the utmost confidentiality in accordance with this Privacy Policy and the national and international legal regulations.

‘Processing’ is understood to mean any form of processing. This includes any actions that we carry out using the personal data of a natural person, such as collecting, saving, changing, deleting, consulting, sharing and using.

If you provide us with your personal data, this will be included in our files and processed by us. This information will only be used for the following purposes:

  • To communicate with you.
  • To manage the contact database, provide product information, and carry out market studies.
  • To inform you about new features, new services, and tourism products in East Flanders.
  • To be able to correctly process your purchases in the web shop.
  • To contact and manage the administration of our volunteers.

The processing of your data for the purposes described above is always based on the following legal grounds:

  • a legal requirement;
  • the proper fulfilment of the organisation’s task;
  • the execution of an agreement with you;
  • when you have consented to this.

In addition to processing your personal data, Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw can collect anonymous or aggregated data of a non-personal nature, such as your browser type, the operating system you use or the domain name of the website that referred you to our website, or through which you leave our website. This way, we can continue to optimise the website for users.

PROPORTIONALITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

We only request data that are strictly necessary for achieving the purposes and will handle these confidentially. 

‘Confidential’ processing entails that we process your personal data with the utmost confidentiality and handle it with the utmost discretion in accordance with the national and international legal provisions.

TRANSFER AND STORAGE

If we must outsource the execution of a task or service to another government institution or to an external company (e.g. a software firm or consultancy agency), then they may only process your data within the agreed context.

We use the MailChimp services to send newsletters (see below). This is a US company, which means that personal data (email address) is transferred outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) when sending the newsletters. MailChimp is certified for this activity under the EU-US Privacy Shield. Personal data that is processed for other purposes always remains within the EEA.

We make use of plug-ins for social media channels and Google on our website. You can find more information about this in our Cookie Policy.

We do not store your personal data for any longer than is necessary for the execution of the service provision. Forms that are not linked to newsletters (see below) are used to collect contact information. This data is stored locally in the database of the website and is deleted after six months.

RIGHTS OF THE DATA SUBJECT

Everyone has certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw recognises and respects these rights. As a data subject, you have the following rights: 

  • Information and access: You can ask us which of your personal data we process, and request to access this data. We will be happy to provide you with more information on how and why we process this data.
  • Rectification: Do you believe that we have incorrect data about you? Let us know and we will rectify it.
  • Erasure: You can request to have the personal data that we have about you deleted. However, we may need to continue processing this data for other purposes (e.g. administration or deduplication).
  • Restriction: If you feel that we are unlawfully or incorrectly processing your personal data, you can restrict this processing as well.
  • Objection: You can object to the processing of your personal data. Does it concern marketing? Then we will terminate the processing as quickly as possible.
  • Portability: This is a new right under the GDPR concerning the transfer of your personal data. If you would like to exercise this right, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If the processing of your personal data is based on consent (e.g. for receiving emails), then you can always revoke this consent.

In order to exercise your rights, you can send a written and dated request via this form, by email to privacytov@oost-vlaanderen.be, or by post to our postal address. 

In order to comply with your request, we need the following data:

  • Your name;
  • A scan or copy of both sides of your electronic ID card;
  • The rights you wish to exercise;
  • As the case may be, the manner in which you want to receive the data: on paper (to be collected from the Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen reception desk) or electronically (identification at the Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen reception desk).

We will let you know what is going to be done with your request within one month. If we cannot comply with your request, we will provide you with the reasoning for this.

FORMS AND NEWSLETTERS

You can subscribe (free of charge) to the electronic newsletter via various websites, such as routen.be, meetjesland.be, visitvlaamseardennen.be, waasland.be and scheldeland.be. We only request an email address to subscribe to the newsletter. This email address is used solely to send you our digital newsletter.

These digital newsletters provide information concerning the service provision and products offered by Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen and its regions. Users can unsubscribe from these newsletters at any time. All data will be removed from the mailing list at that time. The newsletter is distributed via the online email platform MailChimp.

MailChimp collects data about which newsletters are opened and which links in the newsletter are clicked. This data is only registered with a view to the statistical analysis of the reading behaviour and in order to better adapt the information and the services offered to the needs of the users. For more information about the MailChimp privacy policy, please visit their website.

Forms that are not linked to MailChimp are used to collect contact information for information exchange (contact form) or for specific invitations. This data is stored locally in the database of the website and is deleted after six months. The data collected by the Routen magazine subscription form is also stored in the database.

Routen magazine subscribers can also cancel their subscription at any time by sending an email to magazine@routen.be, after which all personal data will be removed from the database.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

General photos or mood shots may be taken at activities which we have set up. We may not always be able to request your consent for these. However, should you be recognisable in such a photo or video, you may always ask us to delete this. We will do the necessary in this regard.

When creating and publishing specific photographic material, we will always request your consent beforehand.

QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS

Should you have any other questions or complaints relating to this Privacy Policy or the use of personal data, please do not hesitate to email our Data Protection Officer at privacytov@oost-vlaanderen.be or send a letter to:

Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw
Woodrow Wilsonplein 2, 9000 Ghent (Belgium)

In case of a complaint, Toerisme Oost-Vlaanderen vzw will do everything within its power to take reasonable measures in order to address your concerns about the processing of your personal data. If you are not satisfied with the measures we have taken to address your complaint, please do not hesitate to contact the Data Protection Authority. This can be done by e-mail to contact@toezichtscommissie.be, by post to Vlaamse Toezichtcommissie voor het elektronische bestuurlijke gegevensverkeer, Avenue du Port 88, 1000 Brussels (Belgium), or by telephone on +32 (0)2 553 50 47.