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Privacy Policy
1. Scope of This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how personal data is processed when you use travelinspirationmag.com, including its editorial, interactive, and communication features, the Travel Inspiration Magazine newsletter, comment and polling functions, podcast content, contact forms, editorial submission features, and the official Travel Inspiration Magazine profiles and channels on external platforms.
This Privacy Policy also applies to other digital services of Travel Inspiration Magazine that expressly refer to it, including the official mobile application, unless separate privacy information is provided for the respective service.
Personal data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR), applicable German data protection law, including the Telecommunications Digital Services Data Protection Act (Telekommunikation-Digitale-Dienste-Datenschutz-Gesetz, TDDDG), and other applicable legal requirements.
2. Data Controller
The data controller within the meaning of Article 4(7) GDPR is:
Dr. Yordan Balabanov
Frankfurter Str. 37
70376 Stuttgart
Germany
Phone: +49 176 376 708 10
Email:
The controller determines the purposes and means of processing personal data in connection with travelinspirationmag.com, Travel Inspiration Magazine, and related digital and editorial services, unless otherwise stated for a specific processing activity.
3. General Principles, Legal Bases, Retention Periods, and Recipients
Legal Bases for Processing
We process personal data only for specified and lawful purposes and where an applicable legal basis exists.
Depending on the specific circumstances, processing may be based on:
- Article 6(1)(a) GDPR - where you have provided consent to a specific processing activity;
- Article 6(1)(b) GDPR - where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract;
- Article 6(1)(c) GDPR - where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation;
- Article 6(1)(f) GDPR - where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of a third party and those interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights, and freedoms.
Where a technology stores information on a user's terminal device or accesses information already stored on that device, Section 25 TDDDG also applies.
Where such storage or access is strictly necessary to provide a digital service expressly requested by the user, prior consent is not required under the conditions set out in Section 25(2) TDDDG. For other technologies, prior consent is obtained where required by applicable law.
Data Minimization
We aim to process only the data necessary for the relevant purpose. Where technically feasible, Travel Inspiration Magazine features are designed to avoid unnecessary tracking, fingerprinting, persistent identifiers, and collection of personal data that is not required to provide the respective function.
Retention Periods
Personal data is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it is processed.
Once the respective purpose no longer applies, the data is deleted or anonymized unless further retention is required by applicable law, necessary for editorial archiving, or required for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.
Different retention periods may apply to different categories of data.
Recipients
Personal data is disclosed to external recipients only where necessary and where an applicable legal basis exists.
Such recipients may include hosting and technical service providers, advertising technology providers, communication and social media platforms, competent public authorities, and other parties where their involvement is necessary to provide the respective service or comply with a legal obligation.
Where an external organization processes personal data on our behalf and in accordance with our instructions, the processing is governed by the requirements of Article 28 GDPR where applicable.
4. Website Visits and Hosting
STRATO
The technical infrastructure of travelinspirationmag.com is hosted by:
STRATO AG
Otto-Ostrowski-Straße 7
10249 Berlin
Germany
When the website is accessed, technical data required to establish the connection and deliver the requested content is exchanged between your device and the hosting infrastructure.
This may include, in particular:
- IP address;
- date and time of the request;
- requested page, file, or resource;
- browser type and version;
- operating system used;
- referrer URL, where transmitted;
- technical information relating to the request and server response.
This data is used to technically provide the website, maintain system stability, diagnose technical issues, prevent misuse, and protect against attacks.
The legal basis is Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Our legitimate interest consists of providing secure, reliable, and technically functioning infrastructure.
STRATO states that full IP addresses processed for the purpose of identifying and preventing attacks may be retained for a limited period. Log files made available to customers for hosting analysis and administration may contain anonymized or truncated IP addresses depending on the provider's configuration.
Additional information: STRATO Privacy Policy.
5. Cookies, Local Storage, and Consent Management
Travel Inspiration Magazine uses technically necessary cookies and similar technologies for the operation, security, and provision of expressly requested website functions.
Additional technologies used, for example, for online advertising, ad personalization, or related measurement are used depending on applicable legal requirements and the choices made by the user through the consent management system.
Joomla Session
travelinspirationmag.com uses Joomla. During a standard visit, Joomla may use a first-party session cookie required to manage the current technical session and related website functions.
The technical session cookie is not used by Travel Inspiration Magazine to track behavior across different websites or to create advertising profiles.
Settings and Functional Preferences
Certain website functions may use session storage, local storage, or similar browser mechanisms to store technical or functional preferences where necessary to provide a requested function.
Google Consent Management Platform
To manage user choices regarding certain advertising technologies and related processing, Travel Inspiration Magazine uses the Consent Management Platform (CMP) provided by Google through Google AdSense Privacy & messaging.
For users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, the Google CMP operates with the IAB Europe Transparency & Consent Framework (TCF).
Through the CMP, you can:
- provide consent;
- refuse consent;
- manage individual purposes and vendors;
- change or withdraw your previous choices at a later time.
Information relating to your choices may be stored in the browser where necessary to preserve, apply, and demonstrate your privacy preferences.
Access to privacy and cookie settings is available through the relevant settings link on the website. Where applicable, Google AdSense also provides a mechanism for reopening the CMP and changing a previous choice.
6. Communication With Travel Inspiration Magazine
Contact Forms
If you send us a message through a form on the website, we process the information you voluntarily provide in order to review your inquiry, respond to you, and, where necessary, conduct follow-up communication.
Depending on the specific form, this may include your name, email address, organization, subject, and the content of your message.
Where the communication relates to a contract or steps prior to entering into a contract, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
In other cases, processing is generally based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR and our legitimate interest in communicating with individuals who contact the editorial team.
Email and Telephone
When you contact us by email or telephone, we process the data you voluntarily provide, as well as information necessary to review and follow up on your inquiry.
Standard email is generally not an end-to-end encrypted communication channel. We therefore recommend that particularly sensitive information not be sent by ordinary email unless appropriate additional security measures have been taken.
7. Newsletter
AcyMailing
We use AcyMailing to organize and distribute the Travel Inspiration Magazine newsletter. The component is installed within the Joomla environment we use, and subscriber data is managed within our hosting infrastructure.
An email address is required to subscribe. If the subscription form contains additional fields, providing that information is voluntary unless expressly indicated otherwise.
Processing for newsletter purposes is based on your consent under Article 6(1)(a) GDPR.
To document the registration and consent provided, technical information relating to the registration and confirmation may be stored, such as the date and time and, where the relevant configuration records it for this purpose, the IP address.
Where a Double Opt-In procedure is used, the subscription becomes active only after additional confirmation by the owner of the respective email address.
Travel Inspiration Magazine does not use AcyMailing to create individual advertising profiles of subscribers.
You may unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time with effect for the future by using the unsubscribe link contained in each newsletter.
After unsubscribing, the email address is removed from the active distribution list. Where necessary, minimal information may be retained on a suppression list to ensure that the unsubscribe request is respected and no further unsolicited newsletters are sent to that address.
For this limited purpose, processing is based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
8. TemplinTech Comments - Reader Comments
Travel Inspiration Magazine uses TemplinTech Comments to allow readers to voluntarily post comments on selected editorial content.
Depending on the function used, the following data may be processed:
- name or chosen display name;
- email address, where required for the respective function;
- content of the comment or reply;
- date and time of submission;
- moderation status;
- information necessary to manage reports and reactions relating to comments.
The email address is not published with the comment and is not used for advertising or marketing purposes.
Under the current configuration, where a guest commenter's email address is required solely to send a notification concerning publication of the comment, the email address is removed from the respective record after the notification has been sent, unless another legal basis requires or permits further retention.
Comments may be reviewed before publication and may be rejected, hidden, or removed where necessary, for example in cases of spam, abuse, unlawful content, or violations of the commenting rules.
TemplinTech Comments does not use IP addresses, browser fingerprinting, or persistent identifiers for its own functionality for the purpose of creating a profile of the commenter.
Where guest reactions to comments are available, the restriction of repeated reactions may be managed through the current Joomla session without creating a persistent individual reaction history.
Processing is necessary to provide, moderate, and protect the commenting function and is generally based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. Where a specific function is based on consent, Article 6(1)(a) GDPR applies.
9. TemplinTech Polls - Online Polls
Travel Inspiration Magazine uses TemplinTech Polls to conduct voluntary online polls among website visitors.
TemplinTech Polls is designed according to the principle of data minimization. Participation in a standard poll does not require registration, and the component does not store, as part of an individual vote, a name, email address, IP address, user ID, browser fingerprint, or persistent device identifier.
Poll results are stored as aggregated data, such as the number of votes cast for each available answer.
To limit repeated voting within the same browser session, the technical Joomla session may be used.
TemplinTech Polls does not create a persistent personal voting history and does not use poll results for advertising tracking or individual profiling.
Aggregated poll results may be used to display poll results, conduct editorial analysis, and present general trends among participants.
10. TemplinTech Podcasts and Audio Content
Travel Inspiration Magazine uses TemplinTech Podcasts to publish, organize, and play podcast and other audio content on the website.
When using the podcast player on travelinspirationmag.com, technical data necessary to load the page, deliver the audio content, and operate the player is processed. Standard technical requests and server logs are described in the section relating to hosting.
TemplinTech Podcasts is not used by Travel Inspiration Magazine to track listeners across different websites or to create individual advertising profiles.
Individual podcast shows and episodes may also be available through external services such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Where the website provides only a standard hyperlink to the respective platform, a connection to that platform is established only when you voluntarily follow the link.
If a particular page uses content directly embedded from an external provider, the respective provider may receive technical information when the content is loaded or activated. Where prior consent is required, loading of such content should be managed in accordance with the applicable privacy settings.
11. Editorial Materials, Contributors, and Content Submissions
Travel Inspiration Magazine accepts proposals for editorial materials, guest articles, travel stories, photographs, interviews, and other content.
When you submit material for review or publication, we may process, for example:
- your first and last name or professional pseudonym;
- your email address and other contact information you provide;
- your author biography;
- professional or social media profiles you voluntarily provide;
- texts, photographs, audio, video, or other submitted files;
- information concerning authorship, photo credits, and usage rights;
- editorial correspondence;
- other information voluntarily included in your submission.
The data is used to evaluate the submission, communicate with you regarding editorial matters, prepare and publish content, and manage related rights and permissions.
Where submitting material constitutes a request for editorial collaboration or steps toward entering into a contractual relationship, processing may be based on Article 6(1)(b) GDPR.
For editorial administration, protection of rights, documentation of permissions granted, and normal management of the publication process, processing may be based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR.
Where information is intended for publication as part of the submitted material, such as the author's name, biography, photograph, professional profile, or photo credit, it may remain publicly available as part of the editorial archive after the initial publication.
Processing for journalistic and editorial purposes may, where applicable, also be subject to specific rules and exemptions relating to freedom of expression, freedom of information, and journalistic activities under applicable law and Article 85 GDPR.
12. Travel Inspiration Inbox and Reader Correspondence
Travel Inspiration Magazine may provide readers with the opportunity to send letters, stories, postcards, photographs, or other content to the editorial team.
Such correspondence may involve processing the sender's name, contact details, postal address where visible or necessary for correspondence, and the content of the submitted letter, image, or other material.
This data is used to receive, review, and editorially administer the correspondence.
Where content is expressly submitted for publication or the sender has provided the relevant permission, certain information, such as a name, text, photograph, or image of a postcard, may be published in Travel Inspiration Magazine.
Before publication, personal data that is not necessary for the editorial purpose may be removed or restricted, including private addresses or other unnecessary contact information.
13. Google AdSense and Online Advertising
Travel Inspiration Magazine uses Google AdSense to display and finance advertising content on travelinspirationmag.com.
For users in the European Economic Area, the relevant Google services are generally provided by:
Google Ireland Limited
Gordon House
Barrow Street
Dublin 4
Ireland
When Google AdSense is used, Google and participating advertising technology providers may, depending on applicable law, consent provided, selected settings, and the type of advertising, process information in connection with the delivery, protection, and measurement of advertising.
This may include, for example:
- IP address;
- URL of the page visited;
- browser, operating system, and device information;
- advertising and other online identifiers;
- information relating to ad delivery and interaction;
- information concerning consent provided, refused, or withdrawn;
- information stored or accessed through cookies and similar technologies, where permitted;
- approximate location information, for example based on IP address;
- where separately permitted and where a provider uses such functionality, other device or location information;
- information necessary for security, fraud prevention, and protection of the advertising ecosystem.
Personalized Advertising
Where consent is required for advertising personalization, the use of advertising cookies, or similar technologies, the relevant processing takes place after consent has been provided through the Consent Management Platform.
The legal basis for processing by us, where based on consent, is Article 6(1)(a) GDPR. Section 25 TDDDG applies to the storage of or access to information on a terminal device.
Legitimate Interests of Advertising Providers
For certain processing activities, participating advertising providers may identify legitimate interests as their legal basis where permitted under applicable law and the rules of the advertising system used.
Where such processing activities are included in the Consent Management Platform, users may manage the relevant settings and object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Legitimate interests under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR do not replace separate consent requirements relating to the storage of or access to information on a terminal device under Section 25 TDDDG where such consent is required.
Limited Ads After Refusal of Consent
If you do not provide consent for personalized advertising, this does not necessarily mean that no advertisements will be displayed on the website.
Where technically, contractually, and legally permitted, Google AdSense may display Limited Ads, which are restricted advertisements that do not use personal data for ad personalization.
When such advertisements are technically delivered, an IP address may still be used to transmit the advertising content to the device, and limited information may be processed for security, fraud prevention, and invalid traffic detection.
Where a specific technical mechanism requires consent under applicable law, it is used in accordance with the choice made through the consent management system.
Changing or Withdrawing Advertising Consent
You may change or withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future through the privacy and cookie settings available on the website.
Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.
Additional information about how Google uses information from sites or apps that use Google services: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
14. Privacy Rights in Certain U.S. States
Certain U.S. states have privacy laws that, under specific circumstances, provide consumers with the right to opt out of certain forms of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information or the use of personal information for targeted advertising, as those terms are defined under the applicable laws.
Travel Inspiration Magazine does not sell personal data in exchange for direct monetary payment. However, certain activities within online advertising may, depending on applicable law, fall within broader statutory definitions of "sale," "sharing," or targeted advertising.
For supported U.S. jurisdictions, we use mechanisms provided through the Google Consent Management Platform to manage the relevant rights.
Where applicable to a particular user, a "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link may be displayed. Through this link, the user may open the relevant Google CMP dialog and submit an opt-out request.
The Google CMP supports transmission of certain privacy choices through the IAB Global Privacy Platform (GPP).
Where a browser or other user-enabled mechanism sends a recognized and applicable Global Privacy Control or other universal opt-out signal, that signal may be processed in accordance with applicable requirements and the technical support provided by the services used.
These mechanisms are provided in addition to any other rights available to users under applicable U.S. privacy laws.
15. Official Profiles, Podcast Platforms, and External Channels
Travel Inspiration Magazine maintains official profiles, podcast channels, and other pages on external platforms.
YouTube
English: https://www.youtube.com/@TravelInspirationMag
Bulgarian: https://www.youtube.com/@TravelInspirationMagazine
English: https://www.linkedin.com/company/travelinspirationmag/
Bulgarian: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/travel-inspiration-magazine/
English: https://www.instagram.com/travelinspirationmagazine/
Bulgarian: https://www.instagram.com/travelinspirationmag/
English: https://www.pinterest.com/travelinspirationmag/
Bulgarian: https://www.pinterest.com/travelinspirationmagazine/
Spotify
English: Travel Inspiration Podcast - English
Bulgarian: Travel Inspiration Podcast - Bulgarian
Apple Podcasts
English: Travel Inspiration Podcast on Apple Podcasts
Postcrossing
https://www.postcrossing.com/user/travelinspirationmag
Google Play
The official Travel Inspiration Magazine Android app is available through Google Play:
Travel Inspiration Magazine on Google Play
Processing by External Platforms
Where these platforms are linked from travelinspirationmag.com through standard hyperlinks, the mere presence of the link does not automatically result in data being transmitted to the respective external platform. A connection is established only when you voluntarily follow the link.
When you visit or use an external platform, its operator processes personal and technical data according to its own policies and terms. Travel Inspiration Magazine does not have full control over processing independently carried out by the respective platform operator.
When you interact directly with an official Travel Inspiration Magazine profile through a comment, direct message, reaction, or other function, we may process information made available to us by the platform for communication, editorial work, and administration of the respective profile.
Processing by us is generally based on Article 6(1)(f) GDPR and our legitimate interest in communicating with readers, contributors, partners, and other interested parties through the respective platform.
Where communication relates to contractual or pre-contractual matters, Article 6(1)(b) GDPR may apply.
16. External and Embedded Content
Individual pages of Travel Inspiration Magazine may contain links to or embedded content from external providers, such as video, audio, maps, social media posts, or other media resources.
Standard hyperlinks do not establish a connection to the respective external platform until the user follows the link.
Where content is directly embedded, the external provider may receive the IP address and other technical information necessary to provide the respective resource.
Where prior consent is required for loading such content or for technologies associated with it, the content should be managed through the applicable consent mechanism or activated expressly by the user.
17. No Use of Google Analytics or Meta Pixel
As of the date of the latest update to this Privacy Policy, Travel Inspiration Magazine does not use Google Analytics or Meta Pixel to analyze visitor behavior on travelinspirationmag.com.
The use of Google AdSense described above is a separate advertising service and should not be understood as use of Google Analytics.
If the analytics or advertising technologies used are changed, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly.
18. Data Transmission Security and Information Security
travelinspirationmag.com uses HTTPS and SSL/TLS encryption.
This helps protect information transmitted between your browser and the respective server against unauthorized reading or alteration during transmission, within the technical capabilities of the cryptographic protocols used.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures taking into account the nature, scope, context, and risks of the respective processing activities.
Despite the measures taken, absolute security of information systems and internet communications cannot be guaranteed.
19. Transfers of Data Outside the European Economic Area
When international services and platforms are used, including Google, Meta, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Spotify, Apple, and other external providers, personal data may also be processed in countries outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.
Where additional safeguards are required for such transfers, permissible mechanisms under the GDPR may be used, including an adequacy decision by the European Commission, the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework for participating certified organizations, Standard Contractual Clauses, or another applicable legal mechanism.
The specific international transfer mechanism may depend on the respective provider and the particular processing activity.
20. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling
Travel Inspiration Magazine does not independently use solely automated decision-making that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.
Where consent has been provided, Google and other participating advertising technology providers may process data for advertising personalization and related advertising purposes in accordance with the applicable settings, their own policies, and applicable law.
Such advertising personalization does not constitute an independent decision by Travel Inspiration Magazine that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on the user within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.
21. Your Data Protection Rights
Subject to the conditions set out in the GDPR, you have the following rights:
- right of access to personal data processed about you under Article 15 GDPR;
- right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete data under Article 16 GDPR;
- right to erasure where the legal requirements are met under Article 17 GDPR;
- right to restriction of processing under Article 18 GDPR;
- right to data portability subject to the conditions of Article 20 GDPR;
- right to object to certain processing activities under Article 21 GDPR;
- right to withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future where processing is based on consent;
- right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority under Article 77 GDPR.
Withdrawal of Consent
Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
The withdrawal applies for the future and does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
For advertising technologies and related settings, you may use the privacy and cookie management mechanism available on the website.
Right to Object to Processing Based on Legitimate Interests
Where we process your personal data on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, you have the right to object to the processing on grounds relating to your particular situation.
Following a justified objection, we will stop the relevant processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights, and freedoms, or unless processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defense of legal claims.
Direct Marketing
Where we process personal data for direct marketing purposes, you have the right to object to such processing at any time.
Once you exercise this right, we will no longer use the relevant personal data for direct marketing.
How to Exercise Your Rights
You may submit a request or question regarding the protection of your personal data to:
Where necessary to protect personal data against unauthorized disclosure, we may request additional information necessary to verify the identity of the person exercising the respective right.
Rights under the GDPR may be restricted in certain circumstances where provided for by applicable law, including in connection with processing for journalistic, editorial, or archival purposes.
22. Right to Lodge a Complaint With a Supervisory Authority
Under Article 77 GDPR, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority, in particular in the Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or the place of the alleged infringement.
The supervisory authority responsible for our establishment in Baden-Württemberg is:
Der Landesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit Baden-Württemberg (LfDI BW)
https://www.baden-wuerttemberg.datenschutz.de/
The right to lodge a complaint is without prejudice to any other administrative or judicial remedies.
23. Unsolicited Advertising Communications
Contact information published in the Legal Notice, this Privacy Policy, or other legally required pages does not constitute consent to receive unsolicited advertising communications.
We object to the use of this information for sending unsolicited advertising or informational materials and reserve the right to take legally permissible action in cases of unlawful or abusive use of such contact information.
24. Changes to This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated when Travel Inspiration Magazine features, technical infrastructure, service providers, advertising technologies, processing activities, or applicable legal requirements change.
The current version is published on travelinspirationmag.com.
Additional privacy notices may be provided for individual services involving specific processing activities and will supplement this Privacy Policy where applicable.
Last updated: October 5, 2026
