The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association (TOTA) is committed to protecting the privacy of stakeholders and subscribers. Any personal information provided to us through the website is collected, used, and disclosed in accordance with the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and other applicable legislation.

For information relating to British Columbia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, please refer to the Government of British Columbia website.

Definition of Persona Information

Under the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, personal information includes recorded information about an identifiable individual, such as name, address, phone number, email address, and credit card information. Business contact information is not included in the definition of personal information under provincial legislation.

When the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association collects personal information, we identify the:

  • Purpose for collecting the personal information,

  • Legal authority for collecting it, and

  • Title, business phone number, business address, and email address of an employee who can answer questions you may have about the collection of information.

Personal Information Collection and Use

When someone visits one of our websites, our web server automatically collects a limited amount of standard information essential to the operation, security, and evaluation of the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region website. This information helps us to make our site more useful to visitors and includes the:

  • Internet domain and Internet Protocol (IP) address from computers that access our website,

  • Type of browser and operating system used to access our site,

  • Date and time our site is accessed,

  • Pages visited,

  • Address of any websites linked to, and

  • Content downloaded from our site.

While some of this information does not identify who people are, other information (e.g. Internet domain names or the IP addresses of internet service providers) may provide identification. The extent of personal identification depends on the naming standards followed by the internet service provider. You may wish to check with your provider to inquire about their policies and practices in this regard. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association does not use this information to identify individuals who visit our website unless required to do so as part of an internal investigation or other law enforcement purpose.

Any personal information collected via our website (e.g. web forms) is done in compliance with BC’s privacy legislation and is considered necessary for providing services offered by our organization. There is always an option of whether or not to provide us with personal information. your decision not to participate in electronic service delivery activities will not impair your ability to browse our website. However, it may limit the use of certain website features.

The personal information provided to us is used for the purpose for which it was collected or for a use consistent with that purpose. For example, personal information may be used to: send information about British Columbia that we believe will be of interest (based on a confidential personal profile); contact about upcoming opportunities; respond to inquiries; provide requested materials; obtain feedback on vacation experiences; or assist with the use of our website.

In most cases, we try to obtain explicit consent before these activities will occur. At any time, anyone may request that we stop communicating by either updating their subscription settings from the bottom of marketing emails or contacting us directly at info@TOTABC.com.

Security of Your Information

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is obligated to protect personal information by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, or disposal. Security measures, such as the use of FTP secure sites, have been integrated into the design, implementation, and day-today operating practices as part of our commitment to protect the information we hold.

The personal information submitted is secure once it reached the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association server. In transit between a computer and the server, however, it may not be secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that information will not be disclosed in ways not otherwise described in this policy.

Links to Other Websites

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association website also provides links to external websites that offer information on tourism-related products or services. These sites may be operated by other government agencies, non-profit organizations, or private businesses. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is not responsible for the content and privacy practices of external websites. We encourage users to review the privacy policy for each external site before submitting any personal information.

Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of data that web pages place in computers to assist in returning to that page. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association uses cookies to track activities on our website to help us identify what tourism-related products or services visitors are interested in, so that we may continually work towards providing useful and relevant content. It is possible to change the settings on a web browser to deny cookies or to warn when cookies will be deposited.

Google Maps

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association uses a third party service for locator maps. See the Google Maps Terms and Conditions.

How Long Information is Retained

The length of information retention varies in relation to the nature of the service provided. We keep information for the length of time necessary to fulfill the purposes(s) for which it was collected. The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association manages the information it collects in accordance with government records retention schedules and other legislative requirements.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

The Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association may, from time to time, review and revise its privacy practices and our website privacy policy.

Contact TOTA

General questions or comments about this privacy policy can be directed by email, phone, fax, or in writing to:

Corporate & Finance Officer
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association
2280-D Leckie Road
Kelowna, BC V1X 6G6

Phone: (250) 860-5999 ext. 0
Fax: (778) 721-5460
Email Directly