At Cultural China Tours (accessible at culturalchinatours.com), we take your privacy seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website or use our services.
We are committed to protecting your personal data and complying with applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) for California residents.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide to Us
When you use our website, contact us, or request our services, you may voluntarily provide us with:
- Personal identification information: Name, email address, phone number, country of residence
- Travel preferences: Preferred travel dates, number of travelers, budget range, special interests (e.g., food tours, cultural experiences, photography)
- Communication data: Messages you send to us via contact forms, email, WhatsApp, or social media
- Payment information: If you book a tour, we collect billing details (processed securely by our third-party payment processors; we do not store full credit card details)
1.2 Information Automatically Collected
When you browse our website, we automatically collect certain information via cookies and similar technologies:
- Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type
- Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, clicks, referral source, date and time of visit
- Location data: Approximate geographic location based on your IP address
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
- To respond to your inquiries: Answer your questions about tours, provide customized itineraries, and send travel advice
- To process bookings: Confirm your tour reservations, coordinate with local tour operators, and send booking confirmations
- To improve our website and services: Analyze how visitors use our site to enhance user experience and content relevance
- To send marketing communications (with your consent): Newsletters, travel guides, cultural insights, and special offers. You can unsubscribe at any time
- To comply with legal obligations: When required by law, regulation, or legal process
3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:
- Contractual necessity: To provide you with requested services (e.g., responding to inquiries, processing bookings)
- Legitimate interests: To improve our website, prevent fraud, and maintain security
- Consent: To send you marketing emails (you can withdraw consent at any time)
- Legal obligation: To comply with applicable laws
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.
4.1 Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality (e.g., form submissions)
- Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site (e.g., Google Analytics)
- Preference cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
4.2 Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, disabling essential cookies may affect website functionality.
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:
- Service providers: We work with trusted third parties to operate our business, including hosting providers, email marketing platforms, payment processors (Stripe, PayPal), and analytics services (Google Analytics)
- Local tour operators: To fulfill your bookings, we share necessary information (name, travel dates, special requests) with our partner guides and DMCs in China
- Legal compliance: When required by law, court order, or government regulation
- Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred (we will notify you)
6. International Data Transfers
Our website is operated from [你的国家，如 United States / Singapore]. Our service providers and local tour operators may be located in different countries, including China. By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your country of residence, which may have different data protection laws.
We take appropriate safeguards to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
- Inquiry data: Retained for up to 2 years after your last contact, to provide ongoing support and follow-up
- Booking data: Retained for 7 years to comply with tax and legal requirements
- Newsletter subscribers: Retained until you unsubscribe
8. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- SSL encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our server is encrypted
- Secure hosting: We use reputable hosting providers with robust security measures
- Limited access: Only authorized personnel (you, as the sole operator) have access to your data
However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Your Rights (GDPR for EEA Residents)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights under GDPR:
- Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Right to erasure (Right to be forgotten): Request deletion of your personal information
- Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your information
- Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing
- Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time
To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@culturalchinatours.com. We will respond within 30 days.
10. Your Rights (CCPA for California Residents)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the CCPA:
- Right to know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected
- Right to delete: Request deletion of your personal information
- Right to opt out of sale: We do not sell your personal information, so no action is needed
- Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights
To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@culturalchinatours.com.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.
12. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to external websites (e.g., Trustpilot, TripAdvisor, booking platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
13. Updates to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. The latest version will always be posted on this page, with the “Effective Date” updated accordingly.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:
- Email: privacy@culturalchinatours.com
- Via contact form: /contact/