Who we are
Our website address is: https://routesandrevelations.com.
Disclaimer: routesandrevelations.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
This privacy policy outlines how Routes & Revelations collects, uses, and safeguards any information you provide while using this website.
At Routes & Revelations, we are dedicated to protecting your privacy. If we request specific information that could identify you when using this site, rest assured it will only be utilized in alignment with this privacy policy.
We may update this policy occasionally by modifying this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about any changes. This policy has been in effect since August 9, 2024.
Please be aware that Routes & Revelations operates as a travel blog rather than a large corporation. Most data collected on this site is done automatically or in the background. We will only obtain your personal details (like your name and email address) if you input them manually on our site. We do not engage in collecting information or data from our users for any purpose other than improving our service to you.
If you have concerns about the misuse of your data or worries about us selling it to third parties—similar to accusations against larger companies—that is not our practice. We solely utilize the information you voluntarily provide to enhance our service to you.
Like nearly all websites today, ours utilizes cookies stored in your browser. These cookies not only enhance your user experience but also allow us to earn commissions through our affiliate partnerships.
When we recommend a product, and you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission (although this is not guaranteed). These transactions will NEVER incur additional costs for you, and in many instances, you may benefit from discounts when using our links. Allowing cookies enables these functions, so by permitting our site to use cookies, you’re aiding in keeping our site operational. Without cookies, we would not earn commissions and would thus be unable to provide such extensive free content.
What We Collect
We may gather the following information:
- Your name and blog URL
- Email address (only with your consent)
- Additional relevant information for customer surveys or offers when prompted
- Anonymous Google Analytics tracking data to monitor site visits
Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the information displayed in the comment form along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to assist with spam detection. An anonymized string derived from your email address (also known as a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service to verify if you are using it. You can find the Gravatar service privacy policy here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. Once your comment is approved, your profile picture will be visible alongside your comment.
Contacting us via email
When you email, we only use that email to respond. We do not use your email for promotional purposes; our only intention is to reply to your inquiries. Unless our conversation continues, we will not send further emails.
Analytics
We utilize Google Analytics to monitor visitor traffic on our site, allowing us to understand how many people visit our blog.
Email Newsletters
We will only use your email to send messages if you explicitly request it. On our blog, you will find opt-in forms asking for your first name and email address. If you provide this information, we will send you emails containing special offers and useful travel tips. We NEVER share your email with any third parties, and you can unsubscribe from our emails at any time.
How We Use Your Information
We require this information to enhance our understanding of your needs and improve our services, particularly for the following reasons:
- Internal record keeping.
- Improving our products and services.
- Occasionally sending promotional emails about new products or special offers that may interest you, but only if you’ve opted in.
- Conducting market research to better provide travel advice and products.
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g. videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor has visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Data Retention
If you leave a comment, that comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely so we can recognize and approve follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them for moderation.
If you’ve submitted your email for newsletters or free products, we will keep that data until you opt out or until we determine that it’s no longer beneficial for you. If you show no interest in our emails for over 90 days, we may delete your information entirely from our servers.
Your Rights Over Your Data
If you have left comments on this site, you can request an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you’ve provided. You can also ask us to erase any personal data we have about you; however, this does not include data we must retain for administrative, legal, or security reasons.
Data Sharing
We do not share or sell your data to third parties. However, when you leave a comment, it may be checked through an automated spam detection service called Antispam Bee. You can view their privacy policy here: https://pluginkollektiv.org/privacy-policy/. Additionally, if you’ve entered your email on our site, we may use it to send offers and information on platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Security
We are committed to keeping your information secure. To prevent unauthorized access or disclosure, we have implemented appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to protect the data we collect online. Our website is fully secure, and we take great care in maintaining your data’s safety.
Cookie Usage
Cookies are small files that request permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once granted, these files help analyze web traffic or notify you when you visit specific sites. Cookies allow web applications to respond as individuals by gathering and remembering information about preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are utilized. This helps us analyze web page traffic data and enhance our website according to customers’ needs. We use this information solely for statistical analysis before removing it from the system.
Overall, cookies improve your website experience by enabling us to track which pages are useful and which are not. Importantly, cookies do not grant us access to your computer or any personal information beyond what you choose to share with us.
You can opt to accept or decline cookies. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but settings can usually be modified to decline them if desired. This may prevent full utilization of the website’s features.
We kindly request that you permit us to use cookies on this website; it’s essential for tracking our affiliate commissions—an integral part of keeping this site running. Your support in accepting cookies is greatly appreciated.
Links to Other Websites
Our website may contain links to other sites of interest. However, once you navigate away from our site using these links, we cannot control those external websites. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the protection and privacy of any information provided while visiting such sites; they are not governed by this privacy policy. We recommend exercising caution and reviewing the privacy policies applicable to those sites.
Controlling Your Personal Information
You can choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information as follows:
- When signing up for emails via pop-ups or opt-in forms on our site, you will receive emails from us but can opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email.
- If you’ve previously consented to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you can change your mind by contacting us at clewis@routesandrevelations.com.
We will never sell or distribute your personal information unless permitted by you or required by law. We may send promotional information about third parties that may interest you only if you express a desire for this.
As a travel blog rather than a large corporation, we only access your contact details if manually entered on our site. Our goal is solely to share valuable travel insights and new offerings created for your benefit.
You may request details of your personal information held by us under the Data Protection Act 1998. To obtain a copy of this information, please write to clewis@routesandrevelations.com.