Privacy Policy | Visit West Macedonia
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Personal Data Protection Policy

Last updated: 28/08/2026

Respect for the protection of your Personal Data processed in connection with the use of this Website is a priority for the Region of West Macedonia (RWM).

For this reason, RWM has prepared this Personal Data Protection Policy for https://visitwestmacedonia.gr/ (the “Privacy Policy”), together with the Website’s Cookies Policy, in order to inform Website Visitors and Users about how we collect and process their Personal Data, the purposes and legal bases of processing, the recipients of the data, retention periods, any transfers of data, and their rights.

Processing is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR), Greek Law 4624/2019, and the guidelines and decisions of the competent European bodies and the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA).

1. Data Controller and Contact Details

The Data Controller for your Personal Data is:
Region of West Macedonia
ZEP Kozani, 50100, Greece
Tel.: +30 24610 52610-11-15
Email: dpo@pdm.gov.gr

For any matter concerning your Personal Data or this Privacy Policy, you may contact us by email at dpo@pdm.gov.gr, by telephone at +30 24610 52610-11-15, by post at the Region of West Macedonia, ZEP Kozani, 50100, Greece, or through the Website Contact Form.

2. Purposes of Processing, Personal Data and Legal Basis

2.1 Communication through the Contact Form

When you use the Contact Form, we collect your name, email address, telephone number and the content of your message.

The data is collected directly from you when you enter it into the Contact Form and is used for the purpose of enabling RWM to communicate with you.

The legal basis for processing is your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting dpo@pdm.gov.gr.

When completing the Contact Form, we encourage you to provide only the information that is strictly necessary for your communication with RWM and not to include Personal Data that is unrelated to your request.

2.2 Newsletter Subscription

When you subscribe to the newsletter, we collect the email address you provide.

We use your email address to send you information about news and tourism-related activities of the Region of West Macedonia within the framework of Visit West Macedonia.

The legal basis for processing is your consent. You may withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe option provided in the newsletter or by contacting dpo@pdm.gov.gr.

2.3 Participation in the Visitor Questionnaire

The Website provides visitors with the opportunity to participate in a Visitor Questionnaire through Google Forms. The questionnaire states that responses are anonymous and will be used exclusively for research purposes.

The questions concern demographic and travel/tourism characteristics and preferences, including, indicatively, nationality, age group, travel party, factors influencing consumer choices during a trip, number of overnight stays, municipality or municipalities of stay, reasons for choosing West Macedonia as a destination, categories of travel expenditure, and areas in which visitors believe their experience could be improved.

RWM uses the responses for research and statistical purposes connected with the tourism development of West Macedonia.

The questionnaire is provided through Google Forms. Google’s applicable terms and Privacy Policy also apply when this service is used.

Users are encouraged not to enter, particularly in any free-text fields, Personal Data that is not necessary for participation in the questionnaire.

2.4 Production of Statistical Information

RWM may produce aggregated statistical information based on responses to the Visitor Questionnaire for the purpose of supporting the tourism development of West Macedonia.

The legal basis for processing is the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

2.5 Cookies and Proper Operation of the Website

The Website uses cookies and similar technologies.

Where the processing of Personal Data through cookies requires consent, consent is provided through the Website’s Cookie Banner. Strictly necessary cookies may be installed without consent in accordance with applicable law.

You may change or withdraw your choices through the cookie management mechanism. For further information, please refer to the Website’s Cookies Policy.

3. West Macedonia Chatbot και Travel Planner

The West Macedonia Chatbot uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to answer questions concerning tourism information about West Macedonia.

The service includes both the general chatbot functionality and the Travel Planner functionality, through which users may provide travel preferences in order to receive personalised travel suggestions.

Users are not required to provide their name, email address, telephone number or other personal details in order to use the chatbot. Users are encouraged not to enter Personal Data concerning themselves or third parties in their messages, particularly special categories of Personal Data (sensitive data). Where a user voluntarily includes additional Personal Data in the content of a message, such data is processed in the context of the user’s interaction with the service.

The ChatLab technology platform is used to provide the service.

When the chatbot is used, the user’s IP address and the content of the messages entered by the user are processed. When using the Travel Planner, travel preferences that the user chooses to provide may also be processed.

Conversation logs, including the IP address and messages, are retained for 30 days and are subsequently deleted. Conversation data is not used to train the Artificial Intelligence system.

The legal basis for processing in connection with the chatbot and Travel Planner is the performance of a task carried out in the public interest by RWM, with the purpose of facilitating visitors and their travel experience in West Macedonia.

RWM does not use the West Macedonia Chatbot for profiling that produces legal effects concerning users or similarly significantly affects them.

4. Social Media

The Website may provide links to social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

If you visit RWM’s profiles on such platforms, the processing of your Personal Data is also governed by the respective platforms’ privacy policies.

If you send a message to RWM through Social Media, RWM processes the Personal Data you provide for the purpose of communicating with you.

5. Recipients of Personal Data

Depending on the service concerned, access to your Personal Data may be provided to companies that technically support and host the Website; technology service providers necessary for the operation of the relevant services; Google in connection with the use of Google Forms; ChatLab in connection with the operation of the West Macedonia Chatbot and Travel Planner; judicial, police, prosecutorial or other competent authorities where required by law; and external advisers of RWM, such as legal advisers, where necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Service providers processing Personal Data on behalf of RWM are given access only to the data necessary for the provision of the relevant services.

6. Transfers to Third Countries

RWM generally keeps the processing of Personal Data within the European Economic Area (EEA) or in third countries for which an adequacy decision exists or, where applicable, under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Where, exceptionally, Personal Data must be transferred to a third country outside the EEA that is not covered by an adequacy decision, appropriate safeguards and measures required by data protection legislation are implemented.

7. Your Rights

Depending on the legal basis and type of processing, you may exercise the rights granted to you under the GDPR, including the right of access, rectification, erasure where applicable, restriction of processing, data portability where applicable, objection where applicable, and withdrawal of consent where processing is based on consent.

Withdrawal of consent applies for the future and does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

To exercise your rights, you may contact dpo@pdm.gov.gr.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA), www.dpa.gr.

8. Procedure for Responding to Your Rights

RWM may request additional information necessary to verify your identity before responding to a request concerning your Personal Data.

RWM responds to valid requests within one (1) month of receipt. In the case of a complex request or multiple simultaneous requests, this period may be extended in accordance with the GDPR, and you will be informed accordingly.

The exercise of your rights is, in principle, free of charge. A reasonable fee may be charged in the circumstances permitted by applicable law, including where requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive.

9. Retention Period

RWM retains Personal Data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the relevant purpose of processing and in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

Where processing is based on consent and consent is withdrawn, or where a right to erasure or objection is exercised, the data will be deleted when and to the extent required by the GDPR.

Specifically for the West Macedonia Chatbot and Travel Planner, conversation logs, including IP addresses and messages, are retained for 30 days and are subsequently deleted.

10. Personal Data Security

RWM implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Personal Data, taking into account the nature, scope, context and purposes of processing, as well as the relevant risks to the rights and freedoms of natural persons.

11. Changes to This Policy

RWM reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy where required due to changes in legislation, Website services or Personal Data processing procedures.

The current version will be published on the Website.