Privacy Policy

1. INTRODUCTION

The Canadian Tourism Commission, doing business as Destination Canada ("DC"), is a Crown corporation of the Canadian government which was established to sustain a vibrant and profitable Canadian tourism industry; to market Canada as a desirable tourist destination; to support a cooperative relationship between the private sector and the governments of Canada, the province and the territories with respect to Canadian tourism; and to provide information about Canadian tourism to the private sector and to the governments of Canada, the provinces and territories.

To meet these goals, DC collects, uses, and discloses personal information from individuals such as our business partners, travel agents, and individual travellers on its websites ("Web Sites"). DC is committed to respecting the privacy of all individuals who entrust us with their personal information.

We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with applicable privacy and data security laws and will only process your personal information to carry out the Purposes section of this privacy policy (this "Policy"). If you have any questions about this Policy or about the personal information handling practices and safeguards of DC, please contact our Chief Privacy Officer ("CPO") at:

Chief Privacy Officer

Phone: (+1) 604.638.8300

Email: privacy@destinationcanada.com

2. DEFINITIONS

a) Personal Information

Personal information is defined as any information, recorded or not, that is about an identifiable individual. Anonymous or aggregate information is not considered personal information and does not fall under the scope of this Policy.

Personal information can be objective information such as your e-mail address or your country of residence, or it can be subjective information such whether you have plans to fly to Canada in the next six months or whether you enjoy skiing.

The following is a list of the most common types of personal information which DC collects, uses, discloses and retains from the Web Sites:

  • name;
  • Internet Protocol (IP) address;
  • mailing and e-mail addresses;
  • other contact information such as telephone and fax numbers;
  • age;
  • gender;
  • language preference;
  • web browser type;
  • operating system;
  • geographic location if the user has enabled this feature;
  • opinions and suggestions;
  • travel preferences, plans, intentions and/or practices;
  • travel activity interests;
  • pages visited (on a single site or across sites);
  • length of time spent on DC's pages;
  • advertisements viewed;
  • articles read;
  • search terms used;
  • business title and contact information;
  • organizational memberships and certifications (i.e. the Canada Specialist program or Meeting Planners International);
  • passport numbers and visas (where required, for example for contest winners); and
  • food allergies, shirt sizes, and special travel requirements (where required, for example, when planning a trade show).

While all personal information that DC collects, uses, and discloses under this Policy is protected as confidential information, some information may be more sensitive in nature. DC is committed to an even higher level of privacy protection for sensitive personal information.

b) Disclosure

A disclosure occurs when DC makes your personal information available to others outside of DC. For example, you may consent to have DC disclose your personal information to one of our partners so that you can receive information based on your browsing interests.  Your ability to consent to a disclosure is described in the Consent section below.

c) Transfer

A transfer occurs when DC provides your personal information to a third party in order for them to provide DC and/or you with a service. An example of this is when we would like a satisfaction survey conducted after a show or event. A contractor of the event organizer may be tasked with sending the survey email and thus requires email addresses of attendees.

When DC transfers your personal information to its service providers, it remains accountable to you for the protection of that information. DC includes clauses relating to security and protection of personal information in our contracts with these providers in order to ensure that they will provide the same level of privacy protection to you as we do. We also ensure that our service providers are only provided with the personal information necessary for the services required by DC and/or you.

d) Online Behavior Advertising

We may use this information to improve the Web Sites' quality; personalize your experience; track your use of our site; provide feedback to third party businesses that are listed on DC's website; display relevant advertising on the Web Sites or that of our partners; market destinations through the Web Sites or that of our partners; measure the effectiveness of DC's online marketing initiatives and campaigns; and comply with legal obligations. This information may be disclosed to our partners in order to achieve these online behaviour advertising outcomes.

If you prefer that we do not collect information about your visits to the Web Sites for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising, you may opt out by clicking on the "opt-out" button below, or by disabling cookies on your browser or mobile device.

3. ACCOUNTABILITY

The CPO is accountable to the Chief Executive Officer and has been delegated the responsibility for ensuring compliance with the applicable data protection and privacy laws and with this Policy. The CPO may, from time to time, delegate particular responsibilities to other individuals within DC in order to effect the provisions of this Policy.

4. PURPOSES

DC may collect, use, disclose and/or retain personal information for the following purposes:

  • advertise and market Canada as a tourist destination;
  • deliver tailored content and or advertising;
  • provide interested individuals with targeted information about Canada;
  • improve our products and services;
  • conduct industry research and studies;
  • promote product and industry development;
  • validate marketing strategies;
  • validate an individual's eligibility for DC's contests or sweepstakes;
  • contact winners of contests or sweepstakes;
  • e-mail newsletters;
  • mail magazines and catalogues;
  • create a "community of users" amongst potential travellers to Canada;
  • authenticate users of DC's web sites;
  • announce upcoming events and to send invitations to individuals interested in those events;
  • publish directories for tradeshows and other business events;
  • ensure the security of DC's systems;
  • meet government reporting requirements; and
  • legal requirements,
  • both on the Web Sites and the sites of our program partners, but only for DC's proper purposes.  DC does not sell personal information or otherwise disclose it for purposes other than those set out above.

5. CONSENT

DC will always collect, use or disclose your personal information according to applicable privacy and data protection laws and this Policy. Except as permitted by law, we will obtain your consent before collecting, using or disclosing your personal information. This consent can be express, such as when you specifically request to be added to a mailing list for one of our electronic newsletters or your consent can be implied such as when you complete a registration form on a Web Site, enter one of our sweepstakes, or answer one of our surveys. In the latter case, you are consenting to DC's collection of personal information you volunteer. In all cases, DC will make every reasonable effort to ensure that you are advised of the purposes for which the information will be used.

You are free at any time to withdraw your consent regarding any of the purposes for which DC uses or discloses your information through an available opt-out mechanism. For example, DC always enables you to "unsubscribe" to an electronic newsletter by following the simple instructions it provides when the newsletter is e-mailed to you.

The majority of the time DC collects personal information directly from the individual about whom the information relates. If DC 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 and we will only use and disclose this information for the proper purposes to which you have consented. In most cases, DC will contact you directly to confirm whether you wish to receive communications from us.

6. LIMITING COLLECTION

DC will limit its collection of your personal information to only that which is necessary to meet the Purposes identified above.

If DC intends to use your personal information for a new purpose not included in the list above, it will seek your consent to do so.

7. COLLECTION OF YOUR INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) ADDRESS and other information FOR RESEARCH AND ANALYTICAL PURPOSES

The Web Sites automatically collect certain information regarding visitors to our site. This information may include your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the IP address of your Internet Service Provider, the date and time you access the Web Sites, the Internet address of the web site from which you linked directly to the Web Sites, the operating system you are using, the sections of the Web Site you visit, the Web Sites pages read and images viewed, and any content you download from the Web Sites.

The data collected may be used for research and analytical purposes. We may also provide this information to third parties, including operators of sites that link to and from our Web Sites to ensure the effectiveness of such linkages. We also use this information for system administration purposes and/or to improve the Web Sites.

DC employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage to our systems and Web Sites. This software receives and records the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the computer that has contacted our Web Sites, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. DC makes no attempts to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our Web Sites unless an attempt to damage the Web Sites has been detected. We never mine or match the data we collect with personally, identifiable information.

8. COOKIES

DC uses "cookies" to enhance the convenience and use of its websites. A cookie (also known as an HTTP cookie, web cookie, or browser cookie) is a small piece of data sent from a website and stored in a user's web browser while the user is browsing. Cookies are designed to recall information about past browsing activity and to allow a Web Site to recognize future visits. Cookies, among other things, allow us to recognize you as a previous user of our Web Sites (so you do not have to enter information about yourself every time). They also allow DC to offer personalized web content, thus facilitating your overall website experience. Cookies may also be shared with DC partners and third party advertising vendors to allow for internet-based advertising and content personalization consistent with the Purposes set out above. Cookies placed on user browsers do not contain any Personal Information.

In addition to our use of cookies, DC may use Google Analytics and other web tools to analyze traffic and other data related to our Web Sites. DC uses these tools to understand what features visitors to our Web Sites like best and what best encourages engagement and interaction.

Through cookies, we only collect aggregated, anonymous data. Information collected through cookies and produced through analytical data does not contain personal identifying information. Cookies used by DC cannot capture or access files and data stored on your computer.

Browsers may allow you to disable the use of cookies through the use of your browser's 'ad settings' (generally in the 'privacy' or 'security' settings), for mobile apps and/or other available means (please see section 2 d. above). Doing so may, however, affect your use of our Web Sites and/or your ability to access certain features of these sites. Should you wish to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics, this link provides instructions on how to opt-out: www.google.com/settings/u/0/ads . To opt-out of Display Advertising you should go to: https://www.google.com/settings/ads/onweb

Advertisements displayed on our Web Sites may also contain cookies. These advertisements may be provided by third party advertising companies. We do not have any control over the cookies used in those advertisements, and bear no responsibility or liability for the use and/or disclosure of information collected by third parties through advertisement cookies.  We will not, however, knowingly permit advertising companies to use or disclose information collected through the Web Sites for illegal or other improper purposes.

9. LIMITING DISCLOSURE

DC will only disclose your personal information with your consent and only to meet the purposes for which it was originally collected, consistent with this Policy. For example, you may want to consent to the disclosure of your personal information to an airline so that you can receive information about their seat sales to Canada over the summer months. When DC fulfills your request and sends your information to this DC partner, it will ensure that the airline only uses your information for that specific purpose and that it will seek your consent for any new purposes.

Similarly, if DC intends to use or disclose your personal information for a new purpose, it will notify you first and seek your consent.

In keeping with the Purposes set out above, DC may disclose your personal information, with your consent, to the following categories of recipients:

  • tourism marketing partners;
  • travel agencies and travel insurance companies;
  • tour operators;
  • the Library and Archives Canada;
  • event planners and/or specific venues;
  • provincial, territorial or destination tourism marketing agencies; and
  • conference or training organizers or providers.

DC may, from time to time, use service providers to perform specialized services on our behalf. Our service providers may, at times, be responsible for processing or handling personal information. In all cases, service providers are given only the personal information they need to perform the services which they have been contracted to provide. When service providers are used, DC requires them to protect personal information in a manner consistent with this Policy.

In some instances, your information may be processed and stored by our third party service providers in foreign jurisdictions. In the event our service provider is located outside of Canada, the service provider will be bound by the laws of Canada, the laws of the jurisdiction in which the service provider is located and the requirements of this Policy. Foreign governments, courts or law enforcement or regulatory agencies may be able to obtain disclosure of your information through the laws of their respective jurisdictions. DC is required by law to respond to valid requests for information from domestic or international authorities.

10. LIMITING RETENTION

DC will only retain your personal information for so long as it is required, subject to the laws and policies governing its operations.

If you withdraw your consent to use your personal information, DC may be required to retain some of your data in order to meet statutory and legal obligations.

11. ACCURACY

DC will make every reasonable effort to keep your personal information complete, accurate and up-to-date. We rely on you to keep us updated of any changes so that the personal information we have is accurate at all times.

You may correct or amend any of your personal information held by DC by contacting the CPO to request a correction or amendment to your personal information. If you have provided your information via an online sign-up, you may be able to correct or amend your information by amending your on-line "profile".

With your consent, DC may forward any corrections or amendments of your personal information to the appropriate third parties to whom the original data had been disclosed, if any.

Please be advised that DC reserves the right to refuse to amend any information where, in its opinion, the information we have on file is accurate. In such a circumstance, you will have the right to register your disagreement and have disputed items reviewed by contacting the relevant privacy regulator.

12. SECURITY SAFEGUARDS

DC will protect your personal information against loss or theft, as well as from unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification. Personal information under the control of DC will be protected regardless of the format in which it is held.

DC 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); and
  • Policy measures (IT policy, security policy).

DC will consider the following factors in selecting appropriate safeguards:

  • sensitivity of the information;
  • amount of information;
  • extent of distribution;
  • format of the information (electronic, paper, etc.); and
  • type of storage.

The information we obtain from or about you may be processed and stored in the United States, which may provide for different data protection rules than the country in which you reside. We will ensure that any information processed and/or stored in the United States shall be safeguarded consistent with the measures and controls set out above.

13. OPENNESS

This Policy may be changed from time to time. Our latest Policy will be posted on our website. It is also available by contacting the CPO.

When visiting our Web Sites, you are encouraged to review any changes since the last version you may have read. You could also bookmark this Policy and periodically review it to ensure that you are familiar with its terms.

14. RIGHT OF ACCESS

Upon request, DC shall inform you of whether or not we hold personal information about you. To the extent possible, we will also indicate the source of this information. Upon request, DC shall also provide an account of the use that has been made or is being made of your personal information and an account of the third parties to which it has been disclosed.

In order to provide an account of the existence, use, and disclosure of your personal information you may be required to provide additional information to permit DC to locate and review that information. Additional information provided, if any, shall only be used for this purpose.

Requests for access to your personal information must be made in writing. Please forward all such requests to the CPO.

DC will acknowledge any request for access within fourteen (14) calendar days from the date upon which it receives the request. It will provide access within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the request unless an extension of time is required and you have been notified of the reasons for the extension and the estimated timeframe to meet your request.

Paper copies of the information will be provided to you upon request. DC reserves the right to provide voluminous requests in an alternative, environmentally friendly, manner.

 

DC has the right to deny your request under certain circumstances. Those circumstances include but are not limited to:

  • information which is protected by solicitor-client privilege;
  • information which reveals personal information about another individual;
  • personal information which was collected for an investigation or legal proceeding that has not yet concluded;
  • if providing access to particular personal information could jeopardize an individual's life or security; or
  • if access to the personal information could reasonably be expected to threaten the safety or physical or mental health of another individual.

For security and privacy reasons, acceptable proof of identification may be requested prior to granting an individual with access to his or her personal information.

15. CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS

Should you have any questions or concerns related to the collection, use, disclosure or retention of your personal information, please send them to the CPO.

All individuals have the right to contact the relevant privacy authority in their own jurisdiction. In Canada, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada can be contacted at:

Place Victoria
30 Rue Victoria
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4H6

Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376
Phone: (613) 995-8210
Fax: (613) 947-6850
TTY: (613) 992-9190