Effective Date: March 7, 2026

1. Introduction & Scope

Welcome to Explore Portugal Now (“we,” “our,” or “us”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website at www.exploreportugalnow.com (the “Site”) and use our travel services.

This policy applies to all users of the Site, regardless of where you are located. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

We are committed to complying with applicable privacy laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other relevant data protection legislation.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account, make a booking, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us, you may provide:

Full name and date of birth
Email address, phone number, and mailing address
Payment information (credit/debit card details, billing address)
Travel preferences, passport details, and special requirements
Feedback, reviews, and communications you send to us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you browse our Site, we automatically collect certain technical data, including:

IP address and approximate geographic location
Browser type, device type, and operating system
Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
Clickstream data and search queries on the Site
Cookie identifiers and similar tracking technologies (see Section 4)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

To process bookings, reservations, and payments for travel services
To create and manage your user account
To personalise your experience and recommend relevant destinations or offers
To send transactional communications (booking confirmations, receipts, itinerary updates)
To send promotional emails and newsletters, where you have opted in
To respond to your enquiries and provide customer support
To improve and optimise the Site’s content, features, and performance
To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or security incidents
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

Where required by law, we rely on the following legal bases for processing your data (GDPR Article 6): contract performance, legitimate interests, legal obligation, or your explicit consent.

4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

4.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly Necessary Cookies: These are essential for the Site to function properly. They enable core features such as page navigation, secure login, and payment processing. You cannot opt out of these cookies.

Performance & Analytics Cookies: These cookies collect anonymised data about how visitors use the Site (e.g., pages visited, error messages) to help us improve performance. We use tools such as Google Analytics for this purpose.

Functionality Cookies: These remember your preferences (e.g., language, currency) to provide a more personalised browsing experience.

Advertising & Targeting Cookies: With your consent, these cookies are used to display relevant advertisements and track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns across third-party platforms.

4.2 Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You can manage or withdraw your cookie consent at any time by:

Using our cookie consent banner that appears on your first visit
Adjusting your browser settings to block or delete cookies
Opting out of Google Analytics at: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Site.

5. Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. However, we may share your data with trusted third parties in the following circumstances:

Booking & Travel Partners: Airlines, hotels, tour operators, and car rental companies necessary to fulfil your booking.
Payment Processors: Secure payment providers (e.g., Stripe, PayPal) to process transactions. They handle payment data under their own PCI-DSS compliant privacy policies.
Analytics Providers: Services such as Google Analytics to help us understand Site usage. Data shared is anonymised where possible.
Marketing & Advertising Platforms: Providers such as Google Ads or Meta Ads, subject to your consent, to display personalised advertisements.
Email Service Providers: Tools used to manage and deliver newsletters and transactional emails.
Legal Authorities: Where required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and the safety of others.

All third-party partners are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable privacy laws. We do not authorise them to use your data for their own marketing purposes without your consent.

6. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’): Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
Right to Restrict Processing: Ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.
California Residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion, opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal data), and be free from discrimination for exercising your rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

📧 info@exploreportugalnow.com

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or as required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Account & Booking Records: Retained for 7 years after your last transaction, in line with legal and financial record-keeping obligations.
Newsletter & Marketing Data: Retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw consent, plus a short period for compliance records.
Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymised data retained for up to 26 months; individual session data deleted after 14 months.
Customer Support Communications: Retained for 3 years from the date of your last interaction.
Cookie Data: Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser; persistent cookies expire per their individual settings (typically 6–24 months).

When data is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymise it.

8. Security Measures

We take the security of your personal information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards, including:

HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your browser and our Site
Encryption of sensitive data (including payment information) at rest and in transit
Role-based access controls to limit staff access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
Regular security assessments, vulnerability scans, and penetration testing
Two-factor authentication for internal systems containing personal data
Staff training on data protection and privacy best practices

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your data, no transmission over the internet or electronic storage system is 100% secure. If you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Explore Portugal Now is based in Portugal (European Union). If you access our Site from outside the EU/EEA, or if our service providers are located in countries outside the EU/EEA, your personal data may be transferred internationally.

Where such transfers occur, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions issued by the European Commission for certain countries
Binding Corporate Rules where applicable

By using our Site, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred and processed in countries that may not offer the same level of data protection as your country of residence.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our Site and services are not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 years of age.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information without your consent, please contact us at info@exploreportugalnow.com and we will take prompt steps to delete that information from our systems.

If you are under 16, please do not submit any personal information through our Site. Use of our services must be done with the consent and involvement of a parent or legal guardian.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will:

Post the updated policy on this page with a revised “Effective Date”
Notify registered users by email where required by law
Display a prominent notice on the Site for significant changes

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Site after any changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Explore Portugal Now

🌐 Website: www.exploreportugalnow.com

📧 Email: info@exploreportugalnow.com