VAOVA S.A.S. (“Vaová”), is committed with the protection of your privacy. We invite you to carefully read this Privacy Policy, which describes our practices for the processing of your personal data, through: • The website www.vaovatravel.com. • The mobile application. • Email, SMS and MMS text messages, and other electronic messages. • Advertising and social networks. • Phone calls • Information regarding our employment relationships. • Information regarding job applicants. • Information regarding service providers.

1. Contact information from Vaová

The following are the contact details of Vaová, so that you can exercise your rights in relation to the Privacy Policy:

2. Governing Law

Pursuant to Article 2 of Law 1581 of 2012, the Colombian privacy legislation (comprising Article 15 of the Political Constitution, Law 1266 of 2008, Law 1581 of 2012 and Decree 1074 of 2015, as well as any other rule that modifies them), is applicable by virtue of the place where the Personal Data is processed. Given that processing activities carried out by Vaová occur in the territory of Colombia, Colombian legislation will regulate the protection of your Personal Data.

When Colombian privacy legislation is not applicable, in any case the provisions of the Privacy Policy will apply.

3. Processing activities 

Vaová may collect, store, use, circulate, update, delete, transfer (to independent third parties responsible for the processing of personal data, including by means of data transfers through mergers, strategic alliances, reorganizations, assignments or assets sales) or third parties in charge of processing on behalf of Vaová), any information that may be associated with you (“Personal Data”), in accordance with the Privacy Notice, this Privacy Policy and Colombian legislation.

Personal Data subject to processing includes, but is not limited to, information that personally identifies you (eg name, date of birth, email, country of residence, postal address, telephone number, identification (citizenship card, passport), gender, nationality, user identification in social networks, university, university program, profession, employment information), transaction details (eg credit card), user information on the website or mobile application (eg username, password), interactions with us (eg travel history, correspondence (emails, surveys), requests, complaints, claims, feedbacks and comments), browsing information through our website or mobile application (eg equipment, IP address, geolocation, browsing details, dates and times you have visited our website or mobile application, calendar information, time you have stayed on our website or mobile application), information relevant to the trip (e.g. preferences, flight details), communications during the trip (text messages through messaging services, such as WhatsApp, or the mobile application), as well as audiovisual and / or photographic records taken during the trip. Vaová’s mobile application may be enabled to access metadata of your mobile device, such as photos, videos, contacts and location.

Likewise, we will process Personal Data related to your health (eg blood type, vaccines, allergies, health insurance, medications or diseases) and emergency contact details, only for medical emergencies, in accordance with Articles 10 and 26 of Law 1581 of 2012.

In the case of workers or suppliers, Personal Data will be obtained within the context of the contractual relationship. In the case of job applicants, Personal Data will be obtained within the context of selection processes.

4. Processing of Personal Data from minors for the provision of services

The services offered by Vaová are NOT intended for minors under 18 years of age (legal age in Colombia), so that their Personal Data will NOT be processed. If the involuntary collection of Personal Data of persons under 18 years of age is discovered, Vaová will proceed with its immediate suppression.

5. Processing of Personal Data from minors in the context of employment relationships

Vaová may process Personal Data of minors under 18 years of age, within the context of employment relationships, to offer extra-legal benefits or carry out special activities, in accordance with the authorization contained in the employment agreement.

6. Collection of your Personal Data
Personal Data may be obtained through the following mechanisms:

(i) Directly: Information you provide to us directly, through the different contact channels, registrations, applications and electronic forms, telephone calls, events, as well as the website and mobile application.

(ii) Directly through our social networks and messaging services: Vaová operates in different social networks and messaging services, through which you can supply Personal Data. Vaová’s social networks and messaging services are the following:

WeTravel: https://www.wetravel.com/profiles/maria-alejandra-pombo
Tourhero: https://www.tourhero.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VAOVATRAVEL/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vaovatravel/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vaova-sas/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkl44j1IZhYAIwYBteUEG9Q
WhatsApp: (+57) 322 810 0162

When you use social networks or messaging systems to comment or give opinions, you can reveal Personal Data to third parties. Therefore, before making a publication, check its content.

(iii) Automatically: Through cookies, web beacons, and other technologies that allow us to monitor traffic on our website or mobile application. At the end of the Privacy Policy, you can find information about the operation of these technologies.

(iv) Automáticamente por medio de la aplicación móvil: Por medio de cookies, web beacons, y otras tecnologías que permiten monitorear el tráfico en nuestra aplicación móvil. You are not required install our mobile application or can delete it at any time.

(v) Automatically through third-party services: The automatic collection of Personal Data may occur through third-party websites, including: Google Analytics, YouTube (when you view videos, cookies are installed on your computer), and / or social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, WeTravel, Tourhero or LinkedIn (through plug-ins, if you choose to ‘share’ or ‘like’, access or share content). In order for the services of these third parties to operate correctly, they may collect data such as your IP address and browsing history through different websites. For more information on the operation of Personal Data of these third parties, you can access their privacy policy by clicking on their name – Vaová does not control the Personal Data processing operations by these third parties.

If you prefer no automatic data processing through third-party services, you can log out of your social networks before using our website or mobile application, or you can change the privacy settings of the applications, when possible.

(vi) Through third party allies: We may obtain Personal Data through our business partners, in accordance with your authorization or transfer agreements (with independent third parties responsible for the processing or your Personal Data or data processors acting on behalf of Vaová), who also comply with Privacy Protection legislation.

7. Security measures for processing your Personal Data

Vaová will have technical, physical and organizational security measures which are proportional to the sensitivity and volume of data to be processed, in order to keep your Personal Data under security and confidentiality.

The processing of your Personal Data will be carried out in accordance with the principles of the Personal Data protection regime, including restricted circulation of your information, so that only Vaová’s personnel with functions related to the processing of your Personal Data, will have access.

8. For what purposes we will process your Personal Data

Personal Data collected by Vaová will be processed for the following purposes:

8.1 Vaová’s Clients:

– Identification: Verify your identity, and that you comply with the legal, contractual, technical and financial requirements to enter into a contractual relationship with Vaová, and in order to prevent fraud.

– Tourism promotion: Before you travel with us, to explain our tourist plans, directly or through Vaová’s consultants.

– Contractual performance:

• Carry out actions for the performance of the contractual relationship and the processing of payments, as well as provide you with contractual information.
• Manage reservations and bookings.
• Inform you about special requirements for tourist activities.
• Manage the provision of tourist services, including transport, food, accommodation and assistance services for travelers.
• Send any relevant information for the provision of tourist services, such as changes, updates, cancellations or confirmations.
• To interact and send relevant information during the trip, Vaová will organize groups using different messaging services, such as WhatsApp.

– Customer service:

• Answer queries, requests, complaints or claims.
• Inform you about changes in our Terms & Conditions and policies.

– Improvement of our services:

• Collect information for commercial and marketing research purposes, in relation to your preferences and travel history, in order to provide better information and offer services that may interest you.
• Record comments and feedbacks about our services.

– Marketing:

• Send information about our services, offers and tourist plans, by means of emails, SMS, MMS and chat messages, telephone calls, social networks, our website or mobile application.
• Carry out marketing campaigns using audiovisual and photographic records and feedbacks from previous trips.

– Networking: Manage invitations to networking events.

– Internal controls:

• Audits.
• Manage our systems and databases.
• Perform the economic and accounting management of Vaová.

– Mobile application: In addition to the purposes listed above, if you use our mobile application, we will process your Personal Data, for the following purposes:

• User registration.
• Send you notificatios regarding your account, user and updates to our policies.
• Allow you to contact and be contacted by other users of the mobile application.
• Provide personalized content and location services.

– Others:

• Databases transfers through mergers, strategic alliances, reorganizations, assignments or assets sales.

8.2 Vaová’s employees, employment candidates and service providers:

The purposes for processing information from these data subjects is provided in the Spanish version of the Privacy Policy.

9. Cookies, web beacons and other monitoring technologies are used for the following purposes:

• The correct functioning of our website and mobile application.
• Improve the contents of our website and mobile application.
• Collect information for commercial and marketing research purposes.
• Set and store your preferences when you use our website and mobile application.
• Show you advertisements on the website and mobile application, and on the websites of third party partners.
• Recognize you when you return to our website and mobile application.
• Speed up your searches on our website and mobile application.

10. Personal Data Processing by Third Parties
Some third parties may process your Personal Data, in accordance with your authorization or data transfer agreements (with third parties responsible for the treatment independent of Vaová or data processors acting on behalf of Vaová):

– Companies affiliated with Vaová: We may share your Personal Data with companies affiliated with Vaová, in order to develop inter-company cooperation activities, and achieve the purposes of the data treatment.

– Service providers: We may share your Personal Data with third parties in charge of providing services for the fulfillment of the purposes of the data treatment, such as transport companies, hotel companies, guides, translators, travel assistance service providers, travel service providers, cloud storage, social networks, data analysis systems, payment gateways and advertising companies.

In the case of workers, Vaová may entrust third parties to carry out payroll, social security, business management and provide extra-legal benefits.

– Consultants: Vaová relies on Consultants to publicize our tourist services. They may collect Personal Data on behalf of Vaová, assuming the same responsibilities established in this Policy.

– Other persons through our website, mobile application, messaging services and social networks: During the trips, through the mobile application or WhatsApp groups, or other messaging services organized by Vaová, the participants of the excursion may interact and access Personal Data for personal purposes. To this end, Vaová will offer SIM cards for customers who wish to use a number in Colombia, without revealing their phone number abroad. Likewise, feedback on our services that are made on social networks may be published and accessed by third parties.

– Independent third parties: We may transfer Personal Data to third parties, which, in any case, will process your Personal Data, in accordance with the authorization for the processing of Personal Data, this Privacy Policy and the legislation of Colombia. Among the third parties to whom your Personal Data may be transferred, subject to your authorization, are recruiting companies or potential employers, in accordance with the networking network supported by Vaová.

– International Data Transfers: Vaová may make international data transfers to the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Mexico, as well as other safe destinations, as certified by the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce (Colombian Data Protection Authority).

11. What are your rights as Data Subject
The following are your rights regarding the processing of your Personal Data:

a) Consultations:
• To have free access to your Personal Data, at least once every calendar month, and each time there are substantial modifications to this Privacy Policy.
• To be informed on the treatment we give to your Personal Data.
• To request proof of your authorization for the processing of your Personal Data, unless it is exempted as a requirement for the treatment.

b) Claims:
• To update and / or rectify your Personal Data.
• To revoke the authorization and / or request the suppression of your Personal Data, provided that there is no legal or contractual obligation.
• To report the breach of any of the obligations of Vaová or third parties, in relation to the processing of your Personal Data.

c) To file complaints with the Superintendency of Industry and Commerce for infractions of the provisions of Law 1581 of 2012 and the other regulations that modify, add or complement it.

12. Rights
You can exercise your rights by electronic communications to the email TREK.INFO@VAOVAOTRAVEL.COM or by written communication to the address Carrera 4A No. 66-62.

12.1. Proceeding for Consultations
You or your representatives may make Consultations (request proof of authorization, know the data that has been collected and the treatment that has been given to it), in accordance with the following procedure:
a) Once submitted, the application will be assessed to verify your identity, for which you must attach a copy of your citizenship card. If the request is made by a person other than you, and it is not proven that they are acting on your behalf, the request will be rejected.

b) All Consultations will be answered within a maximum term of 10 business days, from the date of receipt. When it is not possible to attend the query within said term, you will be informed of this situation, stating the reasons for the delay and indicating the date on which your query will be attended, which, in no case, may exceed 5 business days following the expiration of the first term.

12.2. Proceeding for Claims

You or your representatives may make Claims (corrections, updates or supresions, or when you notice the alleged breach of any of Vaová’s duties in relation to the treatment of your Personal Data), in accordance with the following procedure:
a) Once submitted, the application will be assessed to verify your identity, for which you must attach a copy of your citizenship card. If the request is made by a person other than you, and it is not proven that they are acting on your behalf, the request will be rejected.

b) The claim must contain the following information: (i) Your identification; (ii) Contact information (physical and / or electronic address and contact telephone numbers); (iii) The documents that prove your identity or representation; (iv) The clear and precise description of the Personal Data with respect to which you seek to exercise your rights; (v) The description of the facts that give rise to the claim; (vi) The relevant documents; (vii) Signature and identification number.

c) If the claim is incomplete, Vaová will require you to correct the omissions within 5 days from receipt. After 2 months from the date of the request without correcting the omissions, it will be understood that you have withdrawn the claim.

d) If the area that receives the claim is not competent to resolve it, it will transfer to appropriate area or third party within a maximum term of 2 business days and will inform you of this situation.

e) The maximum term to attend the claim will be 15 business days from the day following the date of receipt. When it is not possible to attend the claim within said term, you will be informed of the reasons for the delay and the date on which your claim will be attended, which, in no case, may exceed 8 business days following the expiration of the first term.

13. Policy for the suppression of your Personal Data
The Personal Data will remain in our databases only for as long as is reasonable and necessary, in accordance with the purposes that justify the treatment, in the absence of a legal mandate, court order or contractual obligation that requires the continuity of the treatment. Likewise, the suppression of your Personal Data will be carried out at your request, in the terms of this Privacy Policy, that is, within 15 business days following your request, extendable only once for a maximum term of 8 days.

In case of involuntary collection of Personal Data of clients under 18 years of age is discovered, it will be suppressed immediately after the discovery.

14. Cookies Policy

For the automatic collection of Personal Data we use: • Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file that is stored on the hard drive of your computer or mobile device. Unless you have adjusted your browser or device settings to reject cookies, cookies will be stored when you use our website or mobile application. • Web beacons. Our website, mobile application and our emails may contain small electronic files known as Web Beacons (also called clear GIFs, pixel tags and single pixel gifs) that allow, for example, to count the number of users who have visited our website or opened an email, and for other statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain content, and checking the integrity of the system and the server). • Cookies by third parties. Our page may have links to third-party pages that use cookies, such as plug-ins to social networks (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), or that may collect Personal Data, such as Google Analytics.

Cookies are used by Vaová to ensure that you can properly use our website and mobile application, in accordance with the purposes previously described in this Privacy Policy.

You can block cookies through your browser settings (for which, you can use the browser’s “help” option) or your mobile device. However, if you use the settings to block all cookies (including cookies that are essential for the operation of the website or the mobile application), you may not be able to access all or part of our website or mobile application.

To deactivate the use of third-party cookies, you can visit their websites to manage the use of this type of cookies or close the session on social networks. Regarding Google Analytics, you can manage your preferences by clicking on the name. To prevent the use of cookies by the mobile application, you can uninstall it.

15. Effective date and modifications

This Privacy Policy is effective as of [21/02/2023].

This Privacy Policy may be modified by Vaová when required without prior notification, as long as it does not involve modifications to the identity of Vaová or the purposes of the treatment. Modifications regarding the purposes for processing your Personal Data must have your prior authorization.