Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 25-11-2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to TravellingCooks.com (the “Website”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our practices with regards to your personal information, please contact us.

This Privacy Policy applies to all information collected through our website, and/or any related services, sales, marketing, or events.

2. Data Controller

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Data Controller for this Website is:

  • Name: Elene Riordan
  • Location: Belgium

3. What Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you subscribe to our newsletter or contact us. We also collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Website and ask you for consent if the type of collected data requires it.

A. Information You Provide

  • Newsletter Subscription: When you sign up for our newsletter via MailerLite, we collect your email address and, optionally, your first name.
  • Contact Form: When you fill out our contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message.

B. Information Automatically Collected

  • Website Usage Data: We collect this data after you consent to using your data for statistics. We use Google Analytics to collect standard internet log information and visitor behavior patterns. This includes information such as your computer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address (which is anonymized), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Website that you visit, the time and date of your visit, and the time spent on those pages. You can learn more about it on Google’s Privacy Policy pages.
  • Server Logs. Our hosting provider, SiteGround, may collect IP addresses in server logs for security purposes (e.g., to prevent DDoS attacks).
  • Data for the purposes of consent management: We use WP Full Picture plugin to display a consent banner and manage consents. This includes:
    • control which tracking tools are loaded based on those consents,
    • ensure that tracking tools work correctly,
    • ensure that tracking cookies are set only after required permissions.

4. How We Use Your Information

We process your information for purposes based on legitimate business interests, the fulfillment of our contract with you, compliance with our legal obligations, and/or your consent.

We use the information we collect or receive:

  1. To send you newsletters: We use your email address to send you the content you subscribed to. (Legal Basis: Consent).
  2. To respond to inquiries: We use the information from the contact form to respond to your questions or comments. (Legal Basis: Legitimate Interest).
  3. To analyze and improve our blog: We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our site so we can improve the content and user experience. (Legal Basis: Consent via Cookie Banner).
  4. To protect our services: To prevent fraud and ensure the security of the Website. (Legal Basis: Legitimate Interest).

5. Will Your Information be Shared with Anyone?

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We only share information with the following third-party service providers (Data Processors) who help us operate the Website. These parties have access to your personal data only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

  • Hosting: SiteGround (Servers located in [Insert location, e.g., Europe/Netherlands]).
  • Analytics: Google Analytics (Google Ireland Limited).
  • Email Marketing: MailerLite (Used to manage our email list and send emails).

International Transfers: Some of our service providers (like Google or MailerLite) may process data outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). Whenever we transfer your personal information, we ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by ensuring that specific contracts approved by the European Commission are used (Standard Contractual Clauses).

6. Cookies

We use cookies to access or store information.

  • Necessary Cookies: Required for the website to function properly.
  • Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics): These help us understand how you engage with the site. These serve to provide statistics on how the website is used.

You have the option to accept or reject non-essential cookies through our Cookie Consent Banner upon your first visit to the site. You can also disable cookies through your browser settings.

7. How Long We Keep Your Information

We will only keep your personal information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy.

  • Newsletter Data: Kept until you unsubscribe. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in the footer of our emails.
  • Contact Form Data: Kept for as long as necessary to resolve your inquiry, plus a reasonable period for record-keeping (usually 1-2 years).
  • Analytics Data: Google Analytics data is retained for [Check your GA settings, usually 14 or 26 months] before being automatically deleted.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user in Belgium/EU, you have specific rights regarding your personal data:

  1. The right to access: You have the right to request copies of your personal data.
  2. The right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate.
  3. The right to erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal data (“Right to be forgotten”).
  4. The right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data.
  5. The right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal data.
  6. The right to data portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data that we have collected to another organization, or directly to you.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Your Email Address].

9. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process. However, please remember that no transmission over the internet is 100% secure.

10. Links to Other Websites

Our Website may contain links to other websites. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that site. Note that these external sites are not operated by us. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of these websites. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

11. Complaints

If you reside in Belgium and believe we are unlawfully processing your personal information, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority:

Autorité de protection des données (APD) / Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (GBA) Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels Website