Visit Benin Republic (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the website visitbeninrepublic.com as the official tourism and investment platform for Benin Republic, West Africa. We are committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy rights.
This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use our website, make bookings, sign up for our newsletter, or communicate with our team. It also explains the rights you have over your data.
For EU and Finnish users: This Privacy Statement has been prepared to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and applicable national data protection laws. Visit Benin Republic acts as the Data Controller for personal data processed in connection with this website.
For purposes of GDPR, our Data Protection contact is: [email protected]
We collect personal data in the following ways:
| DATA CATEGORY | EXAMPLES | WHEN COLLECTED |
|---|---|---|
| Identity Data | Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number | Tour/package bookings; visa enquiries |
| Contact Data | Email address, phone number, postal address | Bookings, contact forms, newsletter signup |
| Travel Data | Flight details, arrival dates, accommodation preferences, dietary requirements, accessibility needs | Tour bookings; trip planning |
| Financial Data | Card type, last 4 digits, billing address (full card data processed by payment partner only) | Payment for bookings |
| Communications Data | Content of emails, chat messages, review submissions, support requests | Any correspondence with us |
| Marketing Preferences | Newsletter subscription status, communication preferences | Signup forms; account settings |
| Partnership Data | Business name, property details, pricing, bank details (for partners) | Partnership onboarding |
| Job Application Data | CV, cover letter, work history, qualifications | Career applications |
When you visit the Site, we automatically collect certain technical data:
We may receive data about you from third parties including our payment processors, analytics providers, social media platforms (where you interact with our content), and partner tour operators where you make a booking through them to travel with us.
We use your personal data only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes:
Under the GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases:
| PROCESSING ACTIVITY | LEGAL BASIS |
|---|---|
| Processing tour and package bookings | PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACT |
| Taking payment and issuing refunds | PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACT |
| Sending booking confirmation and pre-travel info | PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACT |
| Sending marketing newsletters and promotions | CONSENT |
| Setting non-essential cookies (analytics, marketing) | CONSENT |
| Analysing Site usage for improvement | LEGITIMATE INTERESTS |
| Fraud prevention and security | LEGITIMATE INTERESTS |
| Retaining financial records | LEGAL OBLIGATION |
| Responding to regulatory requests | LEGAL OBLIGATION |
Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal. Where we rely on legitimate interests, you have the right to object — see Section 7.
We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We share your data only in the following circumstances:
We share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating our business, including:
All third-party service providers are bound by data processing agreements and are required to process data only on our documented instructions.
We may disclose your data to competent authorities (including law enforcement and tax authorities) where we are legally required to do so, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Visit Benin Republic, our customers, or others.
If Visit Benin Republic is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you by email and/or a prominent notice on the Site before your data is transferred.
No Sale of Data: We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third-party marketers. Your data is used exclusively to provide and improve the services you have requested from us.
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, and reporting obligations. Our standard retention periods are:
| DATA TYPE | RETENTION PERIOD | REASON |
|---|---|---|
| Booking & transaction records | 7 years | Legal / tax obligation |
| Customer account data | 3 years after last activity | Contractual / legitimate interests |
| Marketing consent records | Until withdrawn + 3 years | GDPR accountability requirement |
| Customer support communications | 3 years from resolution | Legitimate interests / dispute resolution |
| Job application data | 6 months (unsuccessful), 5 years (hired) | HR/legal compliance |
| Website analytics data | 26 months (aggregated only after 14 months) | Service improvement |
| Financial / fraud prevention records | Up to 10 years | Legal obligation |
When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.
If you are located in the European Union (including Finland) or the UK, you have the following rights over your personal data:
| YOUR RIGHT | WHAT IT MEANS |
|---|---|
| Right of Access | You can request a copy of all personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request). |
| Right to Rectification | You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data. |
| Right to Erasure | You can ask us to delete your personal data (“Right to be Forgotten”) where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing. |
| Right to Restriction | You can ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances — for example while accuracy is disputed. |
| Right to Data Portability | You can request your data in a structured, machine-readable format and transfer it to another controller. |
| Right to Object | You can object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes at any time. |
| Right to Withdraw Consent | Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting previous lawful processing. |
| Rights re Automated Decisions | You have the right not to be subject to solely automated decisions that have legal or significant effects on you. |
To exercise any of these rights, email [email protected] with the subject line “Data Rights Request”. We will respond within 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity before actioning your request.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority. For Finnish users, this is the Tietosuojavaltuutetun toimisto (Data Protection Ombudsman) at tietosuoja.fi. For other EU users, contact your national supervisory authority.
As a platform operating between Europe and West Africa, some of your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). These include:
Where data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:
You may request a copy of the specific safeguards in place for any transfer by contacting [email protected].
Booking Data Transfer: When you book a tour or package with us, it is necessary to transfer certain data (your name, contact details, dietary/accessibility requirements) to our local guides and operators in Benin Republic in order to fulfil your booking. This transfer is necessary for the performance of your contract with us.
We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. Our security measures include:
In the event of a personal data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours and affected individuals without undue delay, as required by GDPR Article 33 and 34.
Despite our best efforts, no security measure is 100% infallible. If you suspect your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at [email protected].
Our website is not directed at children under the age of 16 (or the applicable age in your country for consent to data processing). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without verified parental or guardian consent.
If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data without your consent, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete the information promptly.
Children included in family tour bookings may have their data collected as part of the booking process. This data is collected from the booking adult, used solely for the purpose of fulfilling the booking, and retained only for the period required by law.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Statement or to your personal data, please contact our privacy team:
Visit Benin Republic — Privacy Team
Email: [email protected]
Subject line: “Privacy Enquiry” or “Data Rights Request”
Response time: Within 30 days
General Contact: [email protected]
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you by email. We encourage you to review this Statement periodically.
WhatsApp us
