Who we are
BalkanTripGuide is a travel content website that shares guides, itineraries, and tips about traveling in the Balkans.
Our website address is: https://balkantripguide.com
What personal data we collect and why we collect it
1. Comments
When visitors leave comments on the site, we collect the data shown in the comments form (name, email address, website if provided, and comment text), plus the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string to help with spam detection.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also called a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to see if you are using the service. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here. After approval of your comment, your profile picture is visible to the public alongside your comment.
2. Contact forms
When you submit our contact form, we receive the information you enter (name, email address, subject, and message) so we can respond to your inquiry. We retain these messages for a reasonable period for customer service purposes only and do not use them for ongoing marketing unless you explicitly request it or subscribe to our newsletter.
3. Analytics & usage data
We may use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand site usage patterns, popular pages, and visitor demographics. These tools use cookies and collect anonymized statistical data to help us improve content and user experience. This data does not identify you personally. You can review Google’s privacy policy here.
4. Embedded content from other websites
Our articles may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, Instagram photos, Google Maps). This embedded content behaves exactly as if you visited the original website directly. These sites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional tracking, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content.
5. Affiliate Links & Sponsored Content
This website contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps support BalkanTripGuide but does not influence our recommendations—we only promote products and services we personally use and recommend. For more details, see our full Affiliate Disclosure.
Cookies
We use cookies for:
- Remembering basic preferences (language, site display)
- Collecting anonymized usage statistics to improve content
- Remembering comment form data (if you opt-in) for your convenience
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Deleting cookies or blocking them may affect some site functionality.
Who we share your data with
- Comments and contact form submissions may be scanned by automated anti-spam services (like Akismet) to protect against abuse
- Beyond this, we do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes
How long we retain your data
- Comments: Retained indefinitely so we can automatically recognize and approve follow-up comments
- Contact form messages: Retained for up to 12 months for customer service follow-up, then deleted unless required for legal reasons
- Analytics data: Retained according to our analytics provider’s policies (typically 14 months for Google Analytics)
What rights you have over your data
If you’ve left comments or submitted contact forms, you can request:
- An exported file of the personal data we hold about you
- That we erase any personal data we hold about you
This does not include data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
To make a data request, please contact us through our Contact page.
Where your data is sent
Visitor comments and contact form submissions may be checked through automated spam detection services and processed by our hosting provider to ensure site security and reliability.
Contact information
For questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us through our Contact page:
https://balkantripguide.com/contact/
Last updated: January 2026