Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

Backstreets of Bruges is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we handle it, and what rights you have under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Belgian data protection law.

Data Controller

The data controller for this website is Backstreets of Bruges, located in Bruges, Belgium. For any privacy-related questions, you can reach us at chantal.markey@hotmail.com.

What Data We Collect

We do not collect personal data through our website unless you voluntarily provide it. This may include your name, email address, and message when you use our private tour contact form. When you use our booking system (powered by FareHarbor), your booking data — such as your name, contact details, and payment information — is processed by FareHarbor as a separate data controller in accordance with their privacy policy.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data only when we have a valid legal basis to do so:

  • Consent — when you voluntarily submit a contact form or accept optional cookies
  • Legitimate interest — to operate and improve our website and services
  • Contract performance — to process and fulfil tour bookings

Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only with service providers strictly as needed to operate our website and services (e.g. FareHarbor for bookings, Google for font delivery), and only under appropriate contractual safeguards.

International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (such as Google and FareHarbor) are based outside the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, it is protected by appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses and supplementary measures including encryption.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. Contact form submissions are retained for the duration of our communication with you. Cookie consent preferences are stored in your browser and remain until you clear them. Booking data is retained by FareHarbor in accordance with their retention policy.

Cookies

For detailed information about the cookies and similar technologies used on our website, please see our Cookie Policy.

Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights regarding your personal data. You can exercise these rights at any time by contacting us at chantal.markey@hotmail.com:

  • Right of access — you can request a copy of your personal data
  • Right to rectification — you can request correction of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure — you can request deletion of your data
  • Right to restrict processing — you can ask us to limit how we use your data
  • Right to data portability — you can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Right to object — you can object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Right to withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time

Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with an updated revision date.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at chantal.markey@hotmail.com.