Wales Accommodation Occupancy Survey (participant contact database): privacy notice

Visit Wales, part of the Welsh Government, undertakes a regular survey of accommodation occupancy levels in Wales on a monthly basis and The Research Solution have been undertaking this survey for the Welsh Government. The aim of this data is to measure occupancy levels across a variety of accommodation categories to allow analysis of how the accommodation sector in Wales is currently performing to support strategic decisions within Welsh Government on how best to support the Accommodation Industry.

To facilitate this research, The Research Solution has gathered and stored personal information relating to you and your business to facilitate continued data collection throughout the lifetime of your participation in the research (for information on the survey please see RIBOS Privacy Statement).

The Welsh Government is the data controller for the research. The Welsh Government receives copies of the survey data collected and a copy of the participant database from The Research Solution at the end of the contract in December 2021.

The contact for this research at Welsh Government is:

Phil Nelson
Email: tourismresearch@gov.wales
Telephone: 0300 025 3187

Personal data is defined under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) as ‘any information relating to an identifiable person who can be directly or indirectly identified by reference to an identifier’.

As part of delivering the Wales Accommodation Occupancy Survey, The Research Solution have developed a database of participating businesses that contains the following personal information:

• your name
• contact information (address, telephone number and email)

This data will be transferred to the Welsh Government on the 31 December 2021. These details will be passed to the new supplier when appointed who will only use them for the purposes of contacting your business in the course of any future Wales Accommodation Occupancy Survey. The Welsh Government will then delete the database as a copy will only be held by Welsh Government between contracts.

Your inclusion on the database is voluntary and if you do not wish your details to be kept on the database or be invited to take part in future surveys then you can ask to be removed. This can be done when you are contacted by the new contractor or you can contact Welsh Government at any point using the details for Phil Nelson in this privacy notice. 

The lawful basis for processing information in this data collection exercise is our public task; that is, exercising our official authority to undertake the core role and functions of the Welsh Government.

The database ensures effective implementation of the Wales Accommodation Occupancy Survey. Research studies such as this are important for the Welsh Government to collect information and actionable evidence about its ability to deliver government priorities. The information collected in this research, for example, might be used to:

• to understand the current and future performance of the Accommodation Industry in Wales
• to inform strategic decisions around funding and industry support
• to inform policy development in the area of Tourism and Hospitality

Personal information provided to The Research Solution is always processed and stored on a secure server and the data can only be accessed by a limited number of researchers working on this project. The Research Solution will only use this data for research purposes. The Research Solution has Cyber Essentials certification.

The Research Solution has procedures to deal with any suspected data security breaches. If a suspected breach occurs, The Research Solution will report this to the Welsh Government who will notify you and any applicable regulator where we are legally required to do so.

Personal data provided to Welsh Government is processed and held on secure servers, and for this project a folder has been created that has access restricted only to the immediate research team. Your contact details and any other personal data you provide will be stored in this restricted folder. The information will only be used for research purposes.

The Research Solution will provide Welsh Government with copies of the full datasets gathered, including your name and contact details information, by 31 December 2021. The Research Solution will delete all information within 3 months of the end of the contract.

The Welsh Government will store the participant contact database between contracts and then delete the information once the new contract is in place and the database has been transferred to the new contractor. It is expected that the new contract will be in place by March 2022 and Welsh Government will delete their copy of the database by June 2022. You can opt out at any point by either contacting the current contractor or Welsh Government between contracts.

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to the personal information you provide as part of this research, you have the right:

• to access  a copy of your own data
• for us to rectify inaccuracies in that data
• to object to or restrict processing (in certain circumstances)
• for your data to be ‘erased’ (in certain circumstances)
• to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who is our independent regulator for data protection

You can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at:

Information Commissioner
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 01625 545 745 or 0303 123 1113
Website: Information Commissioner’s Office

If you have any further questions about how the data provided as part of this study will be used by the Welsh Government or wish to exercise your rights using the UK General Data Protection Regulation, please contact:

Phil Nelson
Email: tourismresearch@gov.wales
Telephone: 0300 025 3187

The Welsh Government’s Data Protection Officer can be contacted at:

Welsh Government
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

Email: dataprotectionofficer@gov.wales