Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Philippines Tourism ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information as you plan your Philippine adventure. This Privacy Policy complies with the Philippine Data Privacy Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10173) and other applicable data protection laws.

This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and travel planning services to discover the beauty of 7,107 islands.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information when you use our travel planning services:

• Full name and contact details (email address, phone number)
• Travel preferences and destination interests
• Trip duration, budget, and group size
• Special requirements (dietary, accessibility, medical)
• Previous travel experience and accommodation preferences
• Passport and visa information (if provided for planning)

2.2 Travel Planning Information

For personalized travel planning, we may collect:

• Desired destinations and activities
• Travel dates and flexibility
• Accommodation preferences and budget
• Transportation requirements
• Special interests (culture, adventure, relaxation)
• Group composition and special needs

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website:

• IP address and geolocation data
• Browser type, version, and device information
• Pages visited and time spent on our site
• Referral sources and click-through data
• Cookies and tracking technologies
• Search queries and destination preferences

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal and travel information for the following purposes:

• Personalized Travel Planning: Create customized itineraries based on your preferences and interests
• Destination Recommendations: Suggest relevant destinations, activities, and accommodations
• Communication: Respond to inquiries and provide ongoing travel support
• Service Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to enhance our travel planning services
• Legal Compliance: Meet regulatory requirements for tourism services
• Marketing: Send relevant travel tips and destination updates (with consent)
• Analytics: Track website performance and user engagement with destinations
• Customer Support: Provide assistance with travel planning and bookings

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Tourism Partners: With verified hotels, tour operators, and transportation providers (with explicit consent)
• Travel Agencies: With accredited Philippine travel agencies for booking assistance
• Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist our operations
• Government Authorities: For visa processing, border control, or tourism regulations
• Legal Requirements: When required by Philippine law or tourism authorities
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Emergency Situations: For safety and security purposes during travel

All third-party tourism partners are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and data protection standards compliant with Philippine tourism regulations.

5. Data Security

We implement comprehensive technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal and travel information:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission and travel planning
• Secure cloud storage with enterprise-grade encryption for itinerary data
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments for tourism platforms
• Multi-factor authentication for sensitive travel planning operations
• Access controls and role-based permissions for travel consultants
• Regular data backup and disaster recovery procedures
• Employee training on data protection and tourism privacy regulations
• Secure payment processing for travel bookings and deposits

Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your travel information using industry best practices and Philippine tourism standards.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal and travel information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by law:

• Active Planning: Retained while you actively plan trips and use our services
• Completed Trips: Retained for 2 years for follow-up support and improvement
• Travel History: Retained for 3 years for personalized recommendations
• Marketing Data: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Website Analytics: Retained for 2 years for service improvement
• Legal Requirements: Retained as required by Philippine tourism regulations

You may request deletion of your travel data at any time, subject to legal and regulatory requirements for tourism services.

7. Your Rights Under the Data Privacy Act

As a data subject under the Philippine Data Privacy Act, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Right to Access: Request access to your personal and travel information in our possession
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate travel or personal data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your travel planning and personal information
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your travel data in certain circumstances
• Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your travel preferences and history
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for travel marketing communications
• Right to Be Informed: Be informed about how your travel data is processed

To exercise these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer using the information provided below.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your travel planning experience and analyze destination preferences:

• Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality and travel planning
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors explore destinations
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant travel offers and destination promotions
• Preference Cookies: Remember your travel preferences and language settings
• Destination Cookies: Track your interest in specific Philippine destinations

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect travel planning functionality.

9. Third-Party Services and Travel Partners

Our website may contain links to third-party tourism services and travel partners, including:

• Hotel booking platforms and accommodation providers
• Tour operators and activity booking services
• Transportation companies (airlines, ferries, buses)
• Travel insurance providers
• Government tourism websites and DOT-accredited agencies
• Local tourism boards and destination marketing organizations

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external tourism services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information for travel bookings.

10. Travel and Tourism Data

For travel planning and tourism services, we may collect sensitive travel-related information including:

• Travel itineraries and destination preferences
• Accommodation and transportation bookings
• Emergency contact information for travel safety
• Medical conditions and accessibility requirements
• Travel insurance and documentation details
• Payment information for travel deposits and bookings

This information is handled with the highest level of security and is used solely for providing comprehensive travel planning services. We comply with all applicable tourism regulations and data protection standards.

11. International Travel Data Transfers

Your travel information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than the Philippines for the following purposes:

• International hotel and accommodation booking systems
• Global airline and transportation reservation platforms
• International tour operator and activity booking services
• Travel insurance providers and emergency assistance services
• Global payment processing for international travel bookings
• International tourism marketing and destination information services

We ensure that such transfers comply with Philippine data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards, including standard contractual clauses and adequacy decisions for tourism services.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our tourism services, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on our website and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of our travel planning services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the modified Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices for tourism services, please contact us:

For data privacy complaints or concerns related to tourism services, you may also contact the National Privacy Commission (NPC) at privacy.gov.ph or call their hotline at +63 2 8234 7591.

We are committed to addressing your data privacy concerns promptly and will respond to your inquiries within 5-10 business days.