Ottawa Tourism recognizes and respects that the security of your personal information is an important part of your experience on our Website, ottawatourism.ca. This Privacy Policy outlines the information which Ottawa Tourism will collect from you on the Ottawa Tourism Website and how Ottawa Tourism will use that information.
The following privacy policy has been developed to comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”). By visiting Ottawa Tourism’s Website you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy and agree, without limitation or qualification, to be bound by this Privacy Policy.
We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy from time to time by updating this posting. Please check this Privacy Policy periodically for changes. Your continued use of this site following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will mean you accept those changes.
This Privacy Policy was last updated as of 2022.
Definitions
“Personal information” means any information about an identifiable individual including but not limited to the individual’s name, mailing or email address, telephone number, age, gender, interests, opinions, suggestions, social media handles, and language preference.
Purposes
Ottawa Tourism will collect, use and disclose personal information for the following purposes:
- To advertise and market Ottawa around the world
- To personalize our website
- To conduct industry research and studies
- To validate marketing strategies
- To validate eligibility to enter one of Ottawa Tourism’s contests or sweepstakes
- To contact winners of contests or sweepstakes
- To e-mail newsletters
- To mail visitor guides and brochures
- To announce upcoming events and to send invitations
- To ensure the security of Ottawa Tourism’s computer systems
The majority of the time Ottawa Tourism collects personal information directly from the individual about whom the information relates. If Ottawa Tourism collects your personal information indirectly through a third party, rest assured that it will ensure that you have consented to this indirect collection before it retains your personal information in its files or on its databases. Ottawa Tourism further commits to contacting you directly to confirm with you that you wish to receive communications from us.
Collection of personal information
Ottawa Tourism offers visitors to its Website opportunities to subscribe to its free electronic newsletter, participate in contests, special offers and survey’s, as well as link to websites of Ottawa Tourism’s partners and advertisers that may also be offering information, contests and special offers. Ottawa Tourism will limit its collection of your personal information to only that which is necessary to meet the purpose of the service or contest.
If you are under eighteen (18) years of age, your parent’s or guardian’s permission will be required before any information is provided to our Website.
Collection of non-identifiable information
As it is typical of many websites, Ottawa Tourism’s Website automatically collects certain anonymous and non-identifiable information regarding its users, such as the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer, the IP address of your Internet Service Provider, Google cookie ID, the date and time you access the Website, the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to the Website, the operating system and browser type you are using, the paid ad (and the location of the ad) that you saw before visiting the Website, the sections of the Website you visit, the Website pages read and images viewed, and any content you download.
This anonymous/non-personal information which is gathered may be used for research and analytical purposes and we also use this non-identifiable information for Website and system administration purposes and to improve the Website.
We may disclose the non-identifiable information to others and permanently archive it for future use.
Ottawa Tourism also employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our Website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. Ottawa Tourism makes no attempts to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our Website unless an attempt to damage Ottawa Tourism’s Website has been detected.
Information collected by “cookies”
Ottawa Tourism’s Website uses “cookies”, a technology that installs information on a website user’s computer to permit the Website to recognize future visits by that computer. Cookies enhance the convenience and use of the Website.
Cookies do not contain any personally identifying information. They cannot view or retrieve data from other cookies, nor can they capture files and data stored on your computer. You may reset your computer’s browser to accept or block cookies, or allow your computer’s browser to show you when a cookie is being sent. If you choose not to accept cookies from Ottawa Tourism or its partners or advertisers, your experience at our site and other websites may be diminished and some features may not work as intended.
Advertisements displayed on our Website may also contain cookies. Those advertisements may be provided by third party advertising companies, and we do not have any control over, or any responsibility or liability for, the cookies used in the advertisements or for the use and disclosure of information collected through advertisement cookies.
Electronic Newsletters
Ottawa Tourism offers valuable and timely information about attractions, upcoming events, must-do activities, special offers and contests in our electronic newsletter based upon your voluntary subscription. You will only receive an electronic newsletter if you have requested it (opt-in) by providing your email address. We do not share our mailing lists with any third parties, including advertisers or partners. You can unsubscribe (opt-out) from our electronic newsletter at any time.
Contests
Users participating in Ottawa Tourism’s contests may be required to submit varying degrees of personal information, depending upon the nature of the particular contest. The specific information to be collected and how it will be used will be disclosed in the general contest rules and regulations and/or in the referring contest page or newsletter.
Promotional Offers
Ottawa Tourism may sell goods and services to the consumer public on behalf of member companies. Ottawa Tourism assumes no responsibility for cancellation or postponement of goods or services sold for any reason. Information is accurate at time of posting, is valid only for dates indicated, and is subject to change and availability. Unless otherwise specified, prices are quoted in Canadian dollars. Rates will vary depending upon time of booking. Taxes on goods sold are not necessarily included in the published offer.
Online Surveys
From time to time, Ottawa Tourism will conduct online surveys for internal purposes or for third parties, to gather general information about users and/or their views. Participation in these surveys is voluntary; no information will be collected except that which is knowingly supplied by the user and the information collected throughout the survey will be used only for the survey purpose. Identifying personal information will not be shared.
Safeguards to protect your personal information
Ottawa Tourism will protect your personal information against loss or theft, as well as from unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification. Ottawa Tourism will protect your personal information regardless of the format in which it is held.
Ottawa Tourism will use appropriate security safeguards to provide necessary protection such as:
- Physical measures (locked filing cabinets, restricting access to offices, alarm systems);
- Technological tools (passwords, encryption, firewalls);
- Organizational controls (security clearances, limiting access on a “need-to-know” basis, staff training, and confidentiality agreements);
- Policy measures (IT policy, security policy).
Ottawa Tourism will consider the following factors in selecting appropriate safeguards:
- The sensitivity of the information;
- The amount of information;
- The extent of distribution;
- The format of the information (electronic, paper, etc.); and
- The type of storage.
Consent to this Agreement
By using the Ottawa Tourism website and, in particular, by subscribing to our newsletter or participating in our online contests and surveys, you consent to the collection and use of the information as described above and for the purposes noted above. If an alternative purpose for your information is identified other than what is set out in this privacy policy or on our website where the information is collected, we will contact you to obtain your consent for the new purpose.
Any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or Ottawa Tourism’s information handling practises may be submitted to Ottawa Tourism at webmaster@ottawatourism.ca.
