Privacy Policy
At Visit Furano, we place a high value on your trust and take the protection of your personal information seriously. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal data when you use our website, booking services, or engage with us through other channels. It also covers how we manage information related to comments, media uploads, and cookies. By using our website and services, you agree to the terms of this policy.
Visit Furano operates in accordance with Japanese law and adheres to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI). This policy reflects our commitment to maintaining your privacy and protecting your rights as a consumer when using our services in Japan.
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. Please review this page regularly to stay informed of any changes. Any modifications will take effect immediately upon posting on our website. Your continued use of our website or services signifies your acceptance of these changes and the terms outlined in this policy.
Collection of Personal Information
We collect personal information in a variety of ways, depending on how you interact with our services. The types of information we collect include:
1. Tour Bookings and Related Services
When you book a tour or engage in similar services, we collect the following details:
- Personal Identification Information: Name, date of birth, gender, email address, telephone number, and postal address.
- Health and Safety Information: Medical and dietary details, fitness level, and previous outdoor experience.
- Travel Documents and Insurance: Passport information, travel insurance details, and emergency contact information.
- Past Interactions with Visit Furano: Records of previous trips or services with us, if applicable.
- Additional Information Provided by Third Parties: Data shared by travel agents or third-party websites used to book our tours.
2. Newsletter Subscriptions
For users subscribing to our newsletters, we collect:
- Full name and email address.
3. Website Usage and Consenting Visitors
For consenting users, we collect:
- Technical information such as IP address, type of device used (e.g., tablet, smartphone, or computer), and browsing history on our site through the use of cookies.
4. Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form along with the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection. An anonymized hash of your email address may be provided to the Gravatar service to verify if you use it. After your comment is approved, your profile picture (if applicable) will be visible to the public alongside your comment.
5. Media Uploads
If you upload images to the website, please ensure they do not include embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as visitors can download and extract any location information from images on the site.
When We Collect Personal Information
We collect personal information through the following methods:
- Online Forms: When you sign up for a tour, subscribe to our newsletter, request a quote, or submit inquiries through our Custom Tour and Contact forms.
- Direct Communication: When you communicate with us via phone or email.
- Optional Information: Based on the services you request, we may also collect optional information about your travel preferences or requirements.
- Website Interactions: When you leave comments, upload media, or interact with content on our website.
Purpose of Collecting Personal Information
We collect and process your personal information to enhance your experience with Visit Furano. The purposes include:
- Booking and Service Fulfillment: Processing payments, coordinating logistics, and delivering the services you have booked, such as tours or activities.
- Personalization and Communication: Providing personalized recommendations and information through newsletters, promotional content, or direct communication based on your preferences.
- Research and Analytics: Conducting research and statistical analysis to improve our marketing strategies and services.
- Improvement of Services: Identifying opportunities to enhance our offerings and customer experience through feedback and usage data.
Sharing of Personal Information
We do not share, sell, or disclose your personal information to third parties except under the following circumstances:
- Service Providers and Partners
We may share your personal data with trusted suppliers and partners in Japan involved in delivering our services, such as:
- Local transportation providers
- Accommodation providers
- Activity organizers
- Government and Legal Obligations
We may disclose personal information to government authorities or law enforcement agencies if required by law, regulation, or legal proceedings. - Internal Staff and Guides
Our tour guides and relevant staff members may access your information to ensure safe and efficient service delivery during your tour. - Comments and Spam Detection
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service. If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the reset email.
We only share personal data necessary for delivering our services and strictly limit its use to these purposes.
Use of Cookies
Our website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your browser that allow us to recognize your device and remember certain information about your visit. Our use of cookies falls into the following categories:
- Functional Cookies
These cookies store your preferences (such as language or distance units) and are essential for improving your browsing experience. They do not contain personal information and are not shared with external parties. - Analytic Cookies
Analytic cookies help us understand how visitors use our website. By tracking which pages are viewed, we can identify popular areas and optimize the website’s layout and content. We use third-party systems for traffic analysis, but no personal data is stored in these cookies. - Comment Cookies
If you leave a comment on our site, you may opt-in to save your name, email address, and website in cookies for convenience. This will prevent you from re-entering your details for future comments. These cookies will last for one year. - Login and Session Cookies
When you visit our login page, we set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser. If you log in, we set up cookies to save your login information and screen display preferences, which last for two days and one year, respectively. If you select “Remember Me,” your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out, login cookies will be removed. - Article Edit and Publishing Cookies
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser to indicate the post ID of the article. This cookie expires after one day.
Cookie Management
You can choose to accept or decline cookies through your browser settings. Declining cookies may restrict some functionalities of our website and impact your experience.
Data Security and Protection
We implement stringent measures to ensure the security of your personal information. All data is stored in a secure database protected by encryption, firewalls, and password-protected systems. Access to your data is restricted to authorized personnel only.
Despite our best efforts, no transmission of data over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. We encourage you to take precautions when sharing personal information online.
Embedded Content from Other Websites
Articles on our site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves the same way as if you visited those websites directly. These sites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interactions with the embedded content. We are not responsible for the data practices of these third-party sites and recommend reviewing their privacy policies before engaging with their content.
Your Rights and Access to Personal Information
You have the right to inquire about whether we are processing your personal data and to request access to your personal information. If the rights and freedoms of others are not affected, we will provide a copy of your personal data upon request. Please note that a fee may apply in certain cases.
For users who have accounts or have left comments on our site, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold, except for information we are required to retain for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
You also have the right to ask us to stop using your personal information for direct marketing or electronic communications. To exercise these rights, please contact us in writing.
Contact Information
For any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, the use of cookies, or how we handle personal data, please contact us at:
- Email: info@visitfurano.com
We value your privacy and are committed to addressing your inquiries or concerns. Feel free to reach out to us at any time.