Effective Date: November 1, 2024
This Privacy Policy describes how Ashtabula County Convention and Visitors Bureau (“we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, and discloses information about visitors who use our website at https://www.visitashtabulacounty.com (the “Service”). By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.
1. Information We Collect
Personal Data
When you interact with our Service — including by submitting a contact form, requesting visitor information, or signing up for our newsletter — we may ask you to provide personally identifiable information, including but not limited to:
- Email address
- First and last name
- Phone number
- Mailing address (street, city, state, ZIP/postal code)
Information you submit through our contact and inquiry forms is used to respond to your requests and, where you have opted in, to send you news, updates, and promotional communications. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in any email we send, or by contacting us directly.
Usage Data
We automatically collect certain information about how the Service is accessed and used. This may include your device’s Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type and version, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, time spent on pages, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data.
If you access the Service via a mobile device, we may also collect information such as your mobile device type, unique mobile device ID, mobile operating system, and mobile browser type.
Tracking Technologies and Cookies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies — including beacons, tags, and scripts — to track activity on the Service and to hold certain information. You may instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. Please note that some portions of the Service may not function properly if cookies are disabled.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Session Cookies — used to operate the Service and deleted when you close your browser
- Preference Cookies — used to remember your settings and preferences
- Security Cookies — used for security and authentication purposes
- Analytics Cookies — used to monitor and analyze how the Service is used
In addition to our own cookies, certain third-party tools and embedded content on the Service (including social media feeds, analytics platforms, and interactive widgets) may place their own cookies or tracking technologies on your device. We do not control these third-party technologies and encourage you to review the privacy policies of those services.
2. How We Use Your Information
We may use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- To provide, operate, and maintain the Service
- To respond to inquiries, contact form submissions, and requests for visitor information
- To fulfill physical mail requests, such as travel guides and maps
- To notify you about changes to the Service
- To send news, event updates, and promotional communications where you have opted in
- To monitor usage and analyze trends to improve the Service
- To detect and address technical issues
3. Analytics
We use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC, to monitor and analyze how the Service is used. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit the Service, what pages they visit, and what other sites they visited before arriving. Google may use the data collected to personalize ads on its advertising network.
You may opt out of Google Analytics data collection by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on:
https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
For more information on Google’s privacy practices, visit:
https://policies.google.com/privacy
4. Third-Party Services and Tools
Our Service integrates with or links to a number of third-party platforms to provide functionality such as trip planning, event calendars, online merchandise, email communications, social media content, and accessibility tools. When you interact with these features, you may be submitting information directly to a third-party service provider rather than to us.
These third-party services operate under their own privacy policies, which govern how they collect, use, and protect your information. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party service you use through our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party platforms.
Third-party services integrated into or linked from our Service may include, but are not limited to, tools for:
- Trip planning and interactive itinerary building (including our mobile app, provided by VisitWidget)
- Email marketing and newsletter distribution
- Online merchandise or e-commerce transactions
- Social media content embeds and feeds
- Events calendars
- Web accessibility enhancements
- Web analytics
Transactions completed through any linked third-party store or payment platform are governed by that platform’s terms of service and privacy policy. We do not collect or store payment information.
5. Mobile Application
We offer a mobile application — the Visit Ashtabula County App — available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app provides interactive maps, trip planning tools, event information, and local guides for visitors to Ashtabula County.
The app is built and hosted on the VisitWidget platform. When you use the app, certain information — such as your device type, usage patterns, and location data (if you grant permission) — may be collected and processed by VisitWidget on our behalf. We encourage you to review VisitWidget’s privacy policy for details on how that platform handles data at the infrastructure level.
6. Sharing Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
- With Service Providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating the Service, fulfilling requests, or communicating with you — provided they agree to keep your information confidential and use it only for the purposes we specify.
- For Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred. We will provide notice before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
- For Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests from public authorities (e.g., a court or government agency).
- To Protect Rights and Safety: We may disclose your information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of our organization, our users, or the public.
- With Your Consent: We may share your information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.
7. Data Retention
We will retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. We will also retain usage data for internal analysis purposes. Usage data is generally retained for a shorter period unless it is used to improve the security or functionality of the Service, or we are legally obligated to retain it for a longer period.
8. Transfer of Data
Your information, including personal data, may be transferred to and maintained on computers located outside your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.
If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please be aware that we transfer data to the United States and process it there. Your consent to this Privacy Policy, along with your submission of information, represents your agreement to this transfer. We take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure your data is handled securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
9. Your Data Rights
You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of the personal data we hold about you. You may exercise these rights by:
- Signing in to your account (if applicable) and visiting your account settings
- Contacting us directly at visitus@visitashtabulacounty.com
Please note that we may need to retain certain information when we have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so.
10. Security of Your Data
The security of your personal data is important to us. We strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Children’s Privacy
Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a minor without verified parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.
12. Links to Other Websites
Our Service may contain links to third-party websites and platforms that are not operated by us. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the effective date above. Where appropriate, we will also notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the Service prior to the change taking effect.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued use of the Service after any changes have been posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
By email: visitus@visitashtabulacounty.com
Website: https://www.visitashtabulacounty.com