Privacy Policy
Effective date: 10/07/2026
Last updated: 12/07/2026
1. Introduction
Welcome to Secret Travel Guides (“Secret Travel Guides”, “the Website”, “we”, “our”, or “us”).
Secret Travel Guides is an independent travel website dedicated to providing destination guides, travel advice, itineraries, photography, practical travel information and related editorial content intended to help visitors plan and enjoy their travels.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly, transparently and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
This Privacy Policy explains:
- what personal data we collect;
- how and why we collect it;
- how your information is used;
- when information may be shared with trusted third parties;
- how long information is retained;
- the measures we take to protect your information;
- your rights regarding your personal data; and
- how you can contact us regarding privacy matters.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before using the Website.
By continuing to use Secret Travel Guides, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy.
2. Website Operator
Secret Travel Guides is operated by an individual based in the Republic of Slovenia.
For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable privacy legislation, the operator of Secret Travel Guides acts as the Data Controller responsible for determining how and why personal data is processed through this Website.
Contact
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us at:
Email:
info@secrettravelguides.com
We aim to respond to all legitimate privacy-related enquiries within a reasonable period and, where applicable, within the time limits required by law.
3. Applicable Law
This Privacy Policy has been prepared with regard to applicable privacy and data protection legislation, including, where relevant:
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR);
- applicable Slovenian data protection legislation;
- the ePrivacy Directive and applicable national legislation governing cookies and electronic communications;
- other applicable privacy legislation where required.
If any provision of this Privacy Policy conflicts with mandatory legal requirements, the applicable law shall prevail.
4. Scope of this Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors and users of Secret Travel Guides, including those who:
- browse the Website;
- contact us by email;
- interact with website features;
- click external or affiliate links;
- consent to or decline cookies;
- access embedded third-party content;
- use any future services that may be introduced through the Website.
This Privacy Policy applies only to Secret Travel Guides.
It does not apply to third-party websites, applications or services that may be linked from this Website. Once you leave Secret Travel Guides, any personal data you provide will be processed according to the privacy policies of those third parties.
We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external websites you visit.
5. Changes to this Privacy Policy
Secret Travel Guides is continually developing.
As new features, services, technologies, advertising providers, affiliate partners or analytical tools are introduced, this Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect those changes.
Whenever significant changes are made, the “Last updated” date shown at the top of this page will be revised accordingly.
We encourage visitors to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how personal data is collected, used and protected.
6. Information We Collect
The information collected depends on how you interact with Secret Travel Guides.
Information you provide voluntarily
You may choose to provide personal information when you:
- contact us by email;
- submit enquiries;
- communicate regarding travel content;
- report technical issues;
- respond to future surveys or questionnaires;
- subscribe to services that may become available in the future, such as newsletters or notifications.
Depending on the circumstances, this information may include:
- your name;
- your email address;
- information contained within your correspondence;
- any additional information you voluntarily choose to provide.
Providing this information is entirely voluntary.
7. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit Secret Travel Guides, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our website, hosting provider or services necessary for the operation and security of the Website.
Depending on your device, browser and cookie preferences, this information may include:
- IP address;
- browser type and version;
- operating system;
- device type;
- language preferences;
- approximate geographic location (such as country or region);
- date and time of access;
- pages visited;
- time spent on individual pages;
- referring website;
- search terms used to find the Website (where available);
- diagnostic information;
- website performance information;
- security logs.
Some of this information may constitute personal data under applicable data protection legislation.
We do not intentionally collect more information than is reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Secret Travel Guides uses, or may in the future use, cookies and similar technologies to improve the operation, functionality and performance of the Website.
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser.
Depending on how the Website develops, cookies may be used for purposes including:
- maintaining website functionality;
- remembering user preferences;
- improving website performance;
- measuring visitor statistics;
- understanding how visitors use the Website;
- supporting advertising services;
- supporting affiliate marketing;
- protecting against fraud and abuse.
Where required by applicable law, non-essential cookies will only be placed on your device after you have provided your consent through our cookie consent mechanism.
Further information about cookies is available in our Cookie Policy.
9. Analytics
To better understand how visitors use Secret Travel Guides and to improve the quality, usability and performance of the Website, we may introduce website analytics services in the future.
Such services may collect information including:
- pages viewed;
- visitor numbers;
- session duration;
- device type;
- browser information;
- approximate location;
- referral sources;
- interactions with Website content;
- website performance metrics.
Should analytics services be introduced, this Privacy Policy will be updated to identify the providers used and explain how visitor information is processed.
Where required by law, analytics technologies will only be activated after appropriate visitor consent has been obtained.
10. Advertising
Secret Travel Guides may, now or in the future, display advertisements supplied by carefully selected advertising partners.
Advertising revenue helps support the ongoing operation of the Website and allows us to continue providing free travel information and destination guides.
Advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies to:
- display advertisements;
- measure advertising performance;
- prevent advertising fraud;
- improve advertising services;
- limit repeated advertisements.
The advertising providers used by Secret Travel Guides may change over time.
Where advertising services are introduced or materially changed, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
Where required by applicable law, advertising cookies will only be used after you have provided your consent.
11. Affiliate Marketing
Secret Travel Guides may participate in one or more affiliate marketing programmes.
Affiliate marketing allows website operators to receive a commission when visitors choose to purchase products or services through qualifying links.
Using an affiliate link generally does not increase the price paid by the visitor.
Any commissions earned help support the ongoing costs of operating Secret Travel Guides, including website hosting, maintenance, travel research, photography and content creation.
Participation in affiliate programmes does not influence our commitment to providing honest, independent and accurate travel information.
Editorial decisions remain independent of any commercial relationship.
As Secret Travel Guides grows, affiliate partnerships may be introduced, changed or discontinued.
Whenever this results in a material change to how personal data is processed, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
12. Current and Future Third-Party Services
As Secret Travel Guides develops, we may introduce carefully selected third-party services to improve the Website or support its operation.
These services may include, but are not limited to:
- affiliate marketing networks;
- accommodation booking partners;
- car rental providers;
- activity and tour booking providers;
- travel insurance providers;
- advertising networks;
- website analytics providers;
- mapping services;
- video hosting platforms;
- email communication providers;
- website security services;
- spam prevention services;
- customer support services.
The specific third-party providers used by Secret Travel Guides may change over time.
Whenever a new provider materially affects the collection, processing or sharing of personal data, this Privacy Policy will be reviewed and updated to accurately reflect those changes.
13. Affiliate Partners
Secret Travel Guides may, in the future, establish partnerships with reputable affiliate networks and travel service providers.
Examples of partners that may be used include, but are not limited to:
- CJ Affiliate;
- Booking.com;
- DiscoverCars;
- GetYourGuide;
- Viator;
- Expedia Group;
- Skyscanner;
- Amazon Associates;
- and other carefully selected travel-related affiliate programmes.
At the time of reading this Privacy Policy, not all of the providers listed above may necessarily be active partners of Secret Travel Guides.
This list is intended to provide transparency regarding the types of services that may be introduced as the Website develops.
Visitors should always refer to the privacy policy of the relevant third-party provider when interacting with external websites or completing purchases through affiliate links.
14. External Links
Secret Travel Guides contains links to third-party websites for the convenience of our visitors.
These links may include, but are not limited to:
- official tourism organisations;
- government agencies;
- national parks;
- museums;
- accommodation providers;
- airlines;
- car rental companies;
- activity and tour providers;
- travel insurance providers;
- transport operators;
- weather services;
- maps and navigation services;
- travel booking platforms;
- affiliate partners.
The inclusion of a link does not necessarily imply endorsement of the third-party website, its products, services or opinions.
Once you leave Secret Travel Guides, any information you provide is governed by the privacy policy and terms of the relevant third-party website.
We encourage all visitors to review the privacy policies of external websites before providing personal information.
15. Embedded Third-Party Content
To improve the quality and usefulness of our content, Secret Travel Guides may now or in the future include embedded content provided by third parties.
Examples may include:
- YouTube videos;
- Google Maps;
- Instagram posts;
- Facebook content;
- TikTok content;
- interactive maps;
- booking widgets;
- weather information;
- other multimedia or travel-related services.
Embedded content behaves in the same manner as if you visited the third-party website directly.
Those providers may collect information about your visit, use cookies or similar technologies, and process personal data according to their own privacy policies.
Where required by applicable law, embedded content that relies on non-essential cookies or similar technologies will only be loaded after appropriate visitor consent has been obtained.
16. Sharing Personal Information
Secret Travel Guides does not sell visitors’ personal information.
We may share personal information only where reasonably necessary to operate, maintain, improve or protect the Website, comply with legal obligations, or provide requested services.
Depending on the services used, information may be shared with carefully selected third-party providers, including:
- website hosting providers;
- domain registration providers;
- website security providers;
- analytics providers;
- advertising providers;
- affiliate marketing networks;
- email service providers;
- spam prevention services;
- website maintenance providers;
- cloud infrastructure providers;
- legal advisers;
- accountants;
- regulatory authorities;
- law enforcement agencies where legally required.
Each third-party provider is expected to process personal information only where necessary for the services provided and in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.
We seek to work only with reputable providers that maintain appropriate technical and organisational safeguards for protecting personal information.
17. International Data Transfers
Some third-party providers used by Secret Travel Guides may store or process personal information outside the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom or the Republic of Slovenia.
Where international transfers occur, we seek to ensure that appropriate safeguards are implemented in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
These safeguards may include, where applicable:
- adequacy decisions adopted by the European Commission;
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs);
- legally recognised transfer mechanisms;
- contractual obligations requiring appropriate protection of personal information.
The countries in which data may be processed depend on the service providers used at any given time.
Where material changes occur regarding international data transfers, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
18. Website Security
Protecting visitors’ information is important to us.
Secret Travel Guides uses appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to reduce the risk of unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction of personal information.
Depending on the technologies used, these measures may include:
- encrypted HTTPS connections;
- secure website hosting;
- access controls;
- strong authentication for administrative accounts;
- software updates;
- firewall protection;
- malware monitoring;
- website backups;
- server monitoring;
- security logging.
Despite these measures, no method of transmitting information over the internet or storing electronic information can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Accordingly, while we take reasonable steps to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Visitors are encouraged to take appropriate precautions when using the internet, including keeping their devices, browsers and security software up to date.
19. Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes and enforce our legal rights.
Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information involved.
Examples include:
- correspondence submitted through email may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to enquiries and maintain appropriate business records;
- technical logs may be retained for security, diagnostic and fraud prevention purposes;
- analytics information may be retained according to the retention settings of the relevant analytics provider;
- information relating to legal obligations may be retained for the period required by applicable law.
When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely delete, anonymise or otherwise dispose of it.
20. Lawful Basis for Processing Personal Data
Where required by applicable data protection legislation, Secret Travel Guides will only process personal data where a lawful basis exists.
Depending on the circumstances, one or more of the following legal bases may apply.
Consent
We may process personal data where you have given your freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous consent.
Examples may include:
- accepting non-essential cookies;
- consenting to analytics technologies;
- consenting to advertising technologies;
- subscribing to newsletters or future communications;
- voluntarily providing information through forms or other services introduced on the Website.
Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Legitimate Interests
We may process personal data where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms.
Examples may include:
- operating and maintaining the Website;
- improving content and user experience;
- protecting the Website from malicious activity;
- preventing fraud;
- ensuring website security;
- troubleshooting technical problems;
- maintaining accurate records;
- responding to enquiries;
- analysing website performance where permitted by law.
Whenever we rely on legitimate interests, we seek to balance those interests against the privacy rights of our visitors.
Legal Obligations
Certain information may be processed where required to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.
Examples may include responding to lawful requests from public authorities, complying with court orders, maintaining legally required records or protecting legal rights.
Contractual Necessity
At present, Secret Travel Guides does not generally provide services requiring contracts directly with visitors.
Should services be introduced in the future that require contractual performance, personal data may be processed where necessary to fulfil those contractual obligations.
21. Data Minimisation and Accuracy
Secret Travel Guides seeks to follow the principles of data minimisation and accuracy.
Where reasonably possible, we aim to:
- collect only the information necessary for the relevant purpose;
- avoid collecting unnecessary personal information;
- keep personal information accurate and up to date;
- correct inaccurate information where appropriate;
- securely delete or anonymise information when it is no longer required.
If you believe that any personal information relating to you is inaccurate or incomplete, you may contact us using the details provided in this Privacy Policy.
22. Children’s Privacy
Secret Travel Guides is intended for a general audience and is not specifically directed at children.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children where doing so would require parental consent under applicable data protection legislation.
If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a child without the necessary legal basis or required consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information as soon as practicable.
Parents or legal guardians who believe that a child has provided personal information through the Website are encouraged to contact us.
23. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your country of residence and the applicable legislation, you may have one or more of the following rights regarding your personal data.
Right of Access
You may request confirmation of whether we process personal data relating to you and, where applicable, request access to that information.
Right to Rectification
You may request that inaccurate or incomplete personal information be corrected without undue delay.
Right to Erasure
In certain circumstances, you may request the deletion of your personal data where there is no overriding legal reason for us to continue processing it.
This right is commonly referred to as the “right to be forgotten.”
Right to Restrict Processing
You may request that the processing of your personal data be restricted under certain circumstances permitted by law.
Right to Data Portability
Where applicable, you may request that personal information you have provided to us be supplied in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or transferred to another controller where technically feasible.
Right to Object
Where processing is based on legitimate interests, you may object to that processing where your particular circumstances justify such an objection.
You may also object to processing carried out for direct marketing purposes at any time.
Right to Withdraw Consent
Where processing is based upon your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Rights Relating to Automated Decision-Making
Secret Travel Guides does not currently make decisions based solely on automated processing that produce legal or similarly significant effects on visitors.
Should this change in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
24. Exercising Your Rights
If you wish to exercise any of your privacy rights, please contact us using the contact details provided below.
To protect your privacy and prevent unauthorised disclosure of personal information, we may request reasonable evidence to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.
We will respond to legitimate requests within the time limits required by applicable law.
In limited circumstances permitted by law, we may refuse or limit a request where there is a valid legal basis for doing so. Where applicable, we will explain the reasons for our decision.
25. Complaints
If you believe that your personal information has been processed unlawfully or that your privacy rights have been infringed, we encourage you to contact us first so that we have the opportunity to address your concerns.
Where applicable, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory authority.
For matters relating to the Republic of Slovenia, the competent supervisory authority is:
Information Commissioner of the Republic of Slovenia (Informacijski pooblaščenec)
If you reside in another country, you may also have the right to contact your local data protection authority.
26. Changes to this Privacy Policy
Secret Travel Guides may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect:
- changes to the Website;
- new features or services;
- changes to advertising or affiliate partnerships;
- changes to analytics or other third-party providers;
- changes in applicable legislation;
- improvements to our privacy practices.
Whenever material changes are made, the “Last updated” date shown at the beginning of this Privacy Policy will be revised.
Where required by law, additional notice of significant changes may also be provided.
Visitors are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
27. Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, your personal information or your privacy rights, please contact:
Secret Travel Guides
Email: info@secrettravelguides.com
We will make reasonable efforts to respond to all legitimate enquiries as promptly as possible.
28. Final Provisions
This Privacy Policy forms part of the legal information governing the use of Secret Travel Guides.
If any provision of this Privacy Policy is found to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.
This Privacy Policy shall be interpreted in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and any other mandatory legal requirements governing the operation of the Website.