Privacy Statement

PRIVACY STATEMENT AND TERMS OF USE

Dorchester County Tourism (“DCT”) operates the visitdorchester.org website (the “website”). You may use this website only if you comply with and agree to be bound by this Privacy Statement and Terms of Use (collectively, these “Terms of Use”). Please take a few minutes to review these Terms of Use before using the website. By browsing, or otherwise using or contributing to the website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, you may not access, use, or contribute to the website.

PRIVACY

I. PRIVACY STATEMENT

DCT is committed to maintaining a website that protects the individual’s right to privacy. We do not require personal information from our visitors, nor do we collect any personally identifying information (i.e., name, e-mail address, Social Security Number, or other unique identifier) unless you knowingly provide it.

II. E-MAIL ADDRESS REGISTRATION

In certain areas of the website you may be prompted to provide an e-mail address. This information will only be used for the distribution of requested travel information, including, but not limited to, inquiries to travel counselors, e-newsletter subscriptions, custom travel planners, and for contacting winners of sweepstakes and contests. DCT does not sell e-mail addresses.

III. OTHER INFORMATION YOU MAY PROVIDE TO US

You may decide to send us personally identifiable information and other information or materials through the website, including by completion of on-line forms, entries to contests or sweepstakes, e-mail messages, or otherwise. All personally identifiable information you submit to DCT via such electronic communications will be managed in accordance with the Terms of Use. DCT may use such information to provide you further information or services (e.g. to provide you with brochures or other requested information, or to process your entry into a contest), to improve our website for you, or otherwise as applicable. In addition, DCT uses personally-identifying information from consumers in various ways to further our customer’s protection and to provide better service.

IV. E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS

DCT offers several free travel information e-mail newsletters. There are many ways you may be subscribed to one or more of our newsletters: you explicitly asked to be subscribed to a newsletter; you gave us your e-mail address when requesting travel information in the past, and told us you would like to receive travel information in the future; you signed up for a contest or sweepstakes, and agreed to receive travel information in the future; or other means. Subscribing to any of our e-mail newsletters requires positive confirmation from you by e-mail, and options for unsubscribing from a newsletter are provided at the bottom of each newsletter.

V. DATA COLLECTION

To aid in website management, certain information is collected for statistical and advertising purposes. DCT uses specialized software to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing what information is of most and least interest to our customers, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas. DCT may also collect information on what areas of our site you visit for future advertising purposes. Information we collect about your visit may include: the website from which you linked directly to our website, if you have used another website to reach our website; the IP address of the computer from which you connect to our website; the operating system and Web browser you use to view our website; the date and time you accessed our website; the pages you visit during your visit to our website; or the searches you execute on our website. DCT uses the information it collects to measure the number of visitors to the different sections of our website, allowing us to make our website more useful and accessible to visitors, and for advertising purposes. Through Google Analytics, we collect aggregate (not individual) demographic and general interest data about our users. We use this aggregate demographic and general interest data to better understand our users, for the purposes of providing better online services.

For information on how Google may use this data, visit google.com/policies/privacy/partners.

VI. COOKIES

Like many websites, visitdorchester.org makes use of cookies – pieces of information stored on your computer which allow our Web servers to distinguish one visitor from another. We use cookies to allow you to use various personalization features of the website that require registration; to obtain aggregate measures of users of our website; and to promote more targeted advertising.

VII. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

DCT may share personal information collected through this website (including without limitation information collected through your entry into sweepstakes or contests we may offer through this website) with our affiliated organizations, and with selected third party marketing partners (including without limitation sponsors of various contests or sweepstakes offered through our website), who may use it to contact you with information and offers they believe will be of interest to you. We also share personal information collected through this website with third party vendors who act for us or on our behalf; for example, to help us run promotions or provide other support services. Our affiliates and our marketing partners may also share personal information with vendors who provide support services to them. In addition, you acknowledge, consent and agree that DCT may access, preserve, and disclose your personal information and content posted by you to the website: (i) if required to do so by law; (ii) to respond to claims that any content you have posted to the website violates the rights of third-parties; (iii) to respond to your requests for assistance; and (iv) to protect the rights, property, or personal safety of DCT, its users and/or the public. If you would prefer that we not share your personal information with our affiliated organizations or marketing partners, or if you do not wish to receive e-mail messages or U.S. mail from DCT or our partners, you may indicate this preference by sending an email to holly@visitdorchester.org (must include full name and address) or by writing to us at Dorchester County Tourism, 2 Rose Hill Place, Cambridge, MD 21613. Be sure to include in the request your full name and address and specifically indicate that you wish to be removed from the mailing list. DCT will use reasonable efforts to honor such requests. You must understand; however, that even if  you “opt-out,” you may still receive communications from our affiliated organizations or marketing partners; for example, if they initiated the communication before we received your “opt-out” request.

TERMS OF USE

VIII. TERMS OF USE MAY CHANGE

We are continually improving and adding to the features and functionality of the website and the content we offer through the website. As a result of these changes (or changes in the law), we may need to update or revise these Terms of Use, and we reserve the right to make any such modifications at any time, without prior notice, by posting the revised version of these Terms of Use behind the link marked “Privacy” at the bottom of each page of the website. Your continued use of or contributions to the website after we have posted the revised Terms of Use constitutes your agreement to be bound by the revised Terms of Use. You may access the current version of these Terms of Use at any time by clicking the link marked “Privacy” at the bottom of each page of the website.

IX. EXTERNAL LINKS

We will link to external sites that help us perform our mission – to promote and facilitate travel to and within Dorchester County, Maryland. DCT provides links to individual tourism-related businesses and organizations within Dorchester County. In addition, we reserve the right to provide links to external servers with whom DCT is partnered or conducting promotional activities; or to sites that offer non-biased information that may be useful to those who travel in Dorchester County. Links to external servers do not imply any official DCT endorsement of the opinions or ideas expressed therein, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Links to commercial sites are in no way an endorsement of any vendor’s products or services. Links will be provided to external servers that are managed in a professional manner (i.e., it is fully operational, is available most of the time, does not serve inaccurate information or obscene graphics, etc.). This server will not link to external servers if such a link would appear to provide an official endorsement of a commercial product or business. All requests for links will be reviewed by DCT’s leadership team prior to approval. Placement of any link is at the discretion of DCT. Because DCT has no control over such external sites and resources, you acknowledge and agree that DCT is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources, and does not endorse and is not responsible or liable for any content, advertising, products, or other materials on or available from such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that DCT will not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such site or resource.

X. MAPS & OTHER PLUG-INS

DCT makes no representations or warranties expressed or implied, with respect to the use of maps or geographic data provided herewith regardless of its format or the means of its transmission. There is no guarantee or representation to the user as to the accuracy, currency, suitability, or reliability of this data for any purpose. The user accepts the data “as is.” DCT assumes no responsibility for loss or damage incurred as a result of any user reliance on this data. All maps and other material provided herein are protected by copyright.

XI. DISCLAIMER OF ACCURACY OR ENDORSEMENT

Information on businesses and organizations within visitdorchester.org is provided by those organizations. Such information is not verified or endorsed by DCT. Users of this information are encouraged to call individual businesses to verify prices, amenities, features, dates and all other important details before traveling. Additionally, DCT provides links to websites which provide Dorchester County travel information, but does not verify or endorse the content of any of those sites.

XII. COPYRIGHT

Individuals are granted permission to view or print information on this website for travel planning or personal use, and may distribute this information to friends, family members or personal acquaintances for travel planning or personal use. Other uses of this information, including republication on the World Wide Web, in print publications, or in other formats/media, are not allowed without permission from DCT. Webmasters are welcome and encouraged to link to this website from their own sites. Logos and suggested language for such links is available below.

XIII. RESTRICTIONS ON USING THE DCT LOGO

The Water Moves Us logo is our official brand. Its use is reserved for official publications or other products of DCT. Use of this logo without prior written approval is prohibited. Special permission is required for any other use of the Water Moves Us logo. For permission, contact Amanda Fenstermaker at holly@visitdorchester.org.

XIV. OWNERSHIP OF WEBSITE AND CONTENT

The website, including all of the content on the website is owned by DCT. No right, title or interest in the website or any content on the website is transferred to you under these Terms of Use. With respect to content you submit to us, you grant us the non-exclusive, royalty free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, sublicensable, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, perform, and display such content or any part thereof, in any and all media or form of communication whether now existing or hereafter developed. If you believe that any content on the website infringes upon the intellectual property rights of yourself or any third party, you may submit a notification pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”).

XV. OWNERSHIP OF FEEDBACK

DCT welcomes your comments and feedback regarding the website. All information and materials submitted to DCT through the website, such as any comments, reviews, photos, feedback, ideas, questions, designs, data or the like (collectively, “Feedback”), will be considered NON-CONFIDENTIAL and NON-PROPRIETARY. For this reason, we ask you not to send us any information or materials that you do not wish to assign to us, including, without limitation, any confidential information or any original creative materials such as product ideas, computer code, or original artwork. By submitting Feedback to DCT through the website, you assign to DCT, free of charge, all worldwide rights, title and interest in all copyrights and other intellectual property rights in the Feedback you submit. DCT will be entitled to use any Feedback you submit through the website, and any ideas, concepts, know-how or techniques contained in any such Feedback, for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to developing, manufacturing and marketing products and services using such Feedback without restriction and without compensating you in any way. You are responsible for the information and other content contained in any Feedback you submit to us through the website, including, without limitation, their truthfulness and accuracy.

XVI. RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE SITE

DCT reserves the right at any time and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, the website (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree that DCT will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the website.

XVII. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold DCT, its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates harmless from and against any claims, actions or liabilities and settlements including, without limitation, reasonable legal and accounting fees resulting from, or alleged to result from your violation of these Terms of Use or from any claims made by third parties arising out of your use of or posting to the website, including claims regarding ownership, copyright, plagiarism, slander, libel, rights abuse, right to submit, or privacy violation with regard to content created or submitted by you.

GENERAL TERMS

XVIII. SECURITY

Individuals using the website must understand that the Internet is inherently insecure, and no website operator can guarantee that a website is secure. DCT does not warrant that the website is secure or “hackerproof”; you use the website solely at your own risk.

XIX. CHOICE OF LAW AND FORUM

These Terms of Use and the relationship between you and DCT will be governed by the laws of the State of Maryland without regard to its conflict of law provisions. You and DCT agree to submit to the personal and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located within the County of Dorchester, Maryland.

XX. WAIVER AND SEVERABILITY OF TERMS

All waivers must be in writing and signed in ink on behalf of DCT. The failure of DCT to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms of Use will not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. If any provision of these Terms of Use is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to the parties’ intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions of these Terms of Use remain in full force and effect.

XXI. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

You agree that regardless of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising out of or related to use of the website or these Terms of Use must be filed within one (1) year after such claim or cause of action arose or be forever barred.

XXII. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

These Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement between you and DCT and govern your use of the DCT Site, superseding any prior understandings or agreements between you and DCT. This agreement may be amended or modified only as set forth above.

Effective Date: August 1, 2020

HOW TO REQUEST THE DELETION OF YOUR INFORMATION

If you wish the deletion of the personal information that you provided voluntarily to DCT through this website by means of: the request for travel publications, literature, and brochures sign-up for e-mail newsletters (https://visitdorchester.org/about-dorchester/email-signup/) direct contact with TCG Travel Counselors by phone, chat, or contact form submission (https://visitdorchester.org/plan-your-visit/contact-us/), Please send an e-mail message to the Primary Contact e-mail address holly@visitdorchester.org with the subject line Personal Information Deletion Request. DCT will coordinate the deletion of your personal information and will reply to you with confirmation. Please retain this correspondence for your records.

You may also submit a request via mail to this address:

Dorchester County Tourism
2 Rose Hill Place
Cambridge, MD 21613

Please include your full name and address in this correspondence to ensure that the correct information is deleted.

Updated: 7/30/2020