Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Data Controller

International Travel Awards ("we", "us", "our") is operated by Golden Tree Awards, based at The Binary by Omniyat, Office 1909-203, 19th Floor, Business Bay, Dubai, UAE. We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard information that you provide to us when you interact with our website, submit a nomination, register for our events, or contact our team.

As the data controller responsible for your personal information, we handle all data in accordance with applicable data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable, the UAE's Federal Decree-Law on Data Protection, and other relevant privacy laws in the jurisdictions in which we operate.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at awards@goldentreeawards.com.

2. Personal Data We Collect

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as data collected automatically when you use our website. The categories of personal data we collect include:

2.1 Identity and Contact Information

When you submit a nomination, register for events, or contact us, we collect: your full name; job title and professional role; company or organisation name; business address; email address; telephone number; and WhatsApp number where provided.

2.2 Nomination and Award Data

When you submit an award nomination, we collect detailed information about your organisation including: company profile and business description; award category selected; supporting documentation and evidence materials; photographs, videos, and marketing materials you provide; guest reviews and satisfaction data you submit; sustainability and operational data; financial performance information where relevant to the nomination; and previous awards or certifications held.

2.3 Payment Information

If your nomination involves a processing fee, we collect payment-related information. Payment transactions are processed by our secure payment partners and we do not store full payment card details on our servers. We retain records of transactions for accounting and compliance purposes.

2.4 Communications Data

We retain records of communications you send to us via email, WhatsApp, or contact forms, including the content of your messages and our responses.

2.5 Website Usage Data

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical data including: IP address; browser type and version; pages visited and time spent; referring website; device type; operating system; and cookies-generated identifiers as described in our Cookies section below.

2.6 Newsletter and Marketing Preferences

If you subscribe to our newsletter or opt into marketing communications, we collect your email address and record your marketing preferences and consent.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes, relying on appropriate legal bases for each:

3.1 Award Processing and Administration

We use your nomination data and personal information to process your award nomination, conduct the evaluation process, communicate shortlisting and winner decisions, issue trophies and certificates, and administer all aspects of the International Travel Awards programme. This processing is necessary for the performance of our contract with you (the nomination agreement).

3.2 Communications and Customer Service

We use your contact details to respond to your enquiries, provide updates on your nomination status, notify you of important deadlines or changes to the awards process, and deliver the services you have requested. This processing is necessary for our legitimate interests in providing effective customer service and fulfilling our contractual obligations.

3.3 Marketing and Promotional Communications

With your consent, we may use your email address to send you newsletters, industry insights, award announcements, and information about future International Travel Awards programmes. You may withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us at awards@goldentreeawards.com.

3.4 Website Analytics and Improvement

We use website usage data to analyse how visitors interact with our website, identify areas for improvement, measure the effectiveness of our content, and enhance the user experience. This processing is based on our legitimate interests in improving our online services.

3.5 Winner Publicity and Promotion

If your organisation wins an International Travel Award, we will use your company name, award details, and publicly available information for promotional purposes including press releases, social media announcements, website features, and media outreach. We may use photographs taken at our gala ceremony for promotional materials. You will be informed of specific promotional uses.

3.6 Legal and Compliance

We may process personal data where necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our terms and conditions, or protect our legal rights.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We take your privacy seriously and do not sell your personal data to third parties. We share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

4.1 Judging Panel

Nomination data is shared with our independent judging panel members on a need-to-know basis strictly for the purpose of evaluating your nomination. All judges are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and data processing agreements. They may not use nomination data for any purpose beyond the evaluation.

4.2 Service Providers

We engage carefully selected third-party service providers who process data on our behalf to support our operations, including IT infrastructure providers, email marketing platforms, payment processors, event management companies, and analytics providers. All such providers are required to maintain appropriate security measures and use data only as directed by us.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal data if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of others.

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, personal data may be transferred to the relevant parties, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections and notification to affected individuals where required.

5. Cookies Policy

Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyse site traffic, and support our marketing efforts.

5.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off. They are typically set in response to actions you take such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in, or filling in forms.

5.2 Analytics Cookies

With your consent, we use analytics cookies (such as Google Analytics) to collect information about how visitors use our website. This helps us understand which pages are most popular, how users navigate the site, and where we can make improvements. The data is aggregated and anonymised where possible.

5.3 Marketing Cookies

With your consent, we may use marketing cookies to track your visits across websites and display relevant advertisements about the International Travel Awards. You can opt out of marketing cookies at any time through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool.

5.4 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete specific cookies. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information about managing cookies, visit aboutcookies.org.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to comply with our legal obligations. Our general retention guidelines are:

• Nomination data: Retained for 7 years following the relevant awards cycle to support auditing, appeals, and historical records.
• Winner data: Retained indefinitely for our historical records and publicly accessible winner archives.
• Contact and communication data: Retained for 3 years from the date of last contact unless you have an ongoing relationship with us.
• Marketing data: Retained until you withdraw consent or request deletion.
• Website analytics data: Typically retained for 26 months before anonymisation or deletion.
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years for accounting and legal compliance purposes.

When personal data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymise it in accordance with our data disposal procedures.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights in respect of your personal data:

7.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you, along with information about how we process it. We will respond to access requests within 30 days.

7.2 Right to Rectification

You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you. Please contact us if you believe any information we hold is incorrect.

7.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")

In certain circumstances, you have the right to request that we delete your personal data. This right is not absolute and may be limited where we have legal obligations to retain the data or where its deletion would prejudice legitimate interests.

7.4 Right to Data Portability

Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.

7.5 Right to Object

You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and to direct marketing. Where you object to direct marketing, we will stop processing your data for that purpose immediately.

7.6 Right to Restrict Processing

In certain circumstances, you have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data while a dispute or enquiry is resolved.

7.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

7.8 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact our privacy team at awards@goldentreeawards.com with the subject line "Data Rights Request". We may need to verify your identity before processing your request. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS), access controls and authentication requirements, regular security assessments, staff data protection training, and contractual security requirements for all third-party data processors.

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no data transmission over the internet or electronic storage system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority as required by applicable law.

9. International Data Transfers

As a global awards programme, your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside your home jurisdiction, including countries that may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country. Where we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place including standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or other appropriate transfer mechanisms as required by applicable law.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to third-party websites including our nomination portal at goldentreeawards.com. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites and encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

11. Children's Privacy

The International Travel Awards website and services are intended for business and professional use by adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, we will delete it promptly.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or business operations. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy will indicate when changes were made. For significant changes, we will notify registered users by email. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us About Privacy

For all privacy-related enquiries, data rights requests, or complaints about how we handle your personal data, please contact:

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