Privacy Policy

This Policy covers information collected through the Discover DeSoto website, including visitor accounts, the contact form, search, outbound link tracking, and the AI Trip Planner. It does not cover partner websites you visit after leaving Discover DeSoto; those sites have their own privacy practices.

Depending on how you use the Site, we may collect:

• Contact information you submit through the contact form (name, email address, optional subject, and message), which we store in Bureau systems and may forward by email to Bureau staff
• Account information when you sign in with an email magic link, including your email address, optional display name, sign-in session data, and account timestamps
• Trip Planner chat messages, session identifiers, and usage counts needed to provide recommendations and enforce message limits (three messages for anonymous visitors; fifteen per day for signed-in visitors, Central Time)
• Saved trip items (places and events you save while signed in), stored in your account on Bureau systems
• An anonymous session identifier in a cookie used to enforce Trip Planner limits before you sign in
• Trip Planner conversation history stored in your browser for convenience between visits on the same device
• Usage and analytics information such as pages viewed, search queries, referring URLs, approximate device or browser information, and timestamps
• Outbound link click data (which listing or surface was clicked, when, and whether the click came from the Site or Trip Planner) through tracked redirect links
• Spam-protection signals from Cloudflare Turnstile when you submit the contact form
• Technical logs needed to operate, secure, and troubleshoot the Site

Discover DeSoto does not process payments, take reservations, or collect payment card details. If you book or buy something with a partner, that transaction happens on the partner's site under that partner's privacy policy.

The Trip Planner does not use a voice interface and is not intended to collect biometric voice data.

We do not require a password for visitor accounts. Magic-link sign-in uses your email address only.

We use information to:

• Respond to visitor and partner inquiries submitted through the contact form
• Authenticate you, maintain your session, and operate your visitor profile
• Operate search, directory browsing, saved trips, and the AI Trip Planner
• Enforce Trip Planner usage limits and protect the service from abuse
• Understand which listings and Site surfaces visitors use, so the Bureau can improve destination marketing and reporting
• Protect the Site from spam, abuse, and security threats
• Maintain, debug, and improve Site performance and accessibility
• Comply with applicable law and respond to lawful requests

When you sign in, we send a one-time link to the email address you provide. Clicking the link creates or restores a visitor account and signs you in. Sign-in emails are delivered through our email service provider (Resend).

Your account lets you save trip items to Bureau systems, continue using the Trip Planner beyond the anonymous message limit, and set an optional display name. You can log out from your profile at any time.

We associate Trip Planner messages sent while you are signed in with your account. Messages sent before you sign in may be associated with an anonymous session identifier until you authenticate.

When you use the Trip Planner, your messages and related context are processed to generate recommendations grounded in the curated Discover DeSoto directory.

Anonymous visitors may send up to three Trip Planner messages without signing in. Signed-in visitors may send up to fifteen messages per calendar day (America/Chicago). These limits are enforced on our servers.

The Bureau requires that visitor data not be used to train general-purpose AI models. Provider arrangements for the Trip Planner are selected and documented with that requirement in mind.

Trip Planner output can be wrong. It is provided as travel guidance only and does not create a booking relationship.

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies for several purposes:

• Sign-in session cookies when you authenticate with a magic link
• An anonymous session cookie to count Trip Planner use before you sign in
• Browser local storage for Trip Planner chat history and widget preferences on your device
• Session storage for short-lived Trip Planner interface preferences

Saved trip items are stored on Bureau servers when you are signed in, not in your browser. You can clear cookies and local storage through your browser settings. Doing so may sign you out, reset anonymous Trip Planner limits on a new device identifier, or clear chat history stored only on your device.

We may share information with:

• Service providers that help host the Site, store data, deliver email (including magic links and contact notifications), secure forms, analyze aggregate usage, provide maps, or power the Trip Planner, under agreements appropriate to a public destination organization
• Partners or public agencies only when needed to respond to a specific request you made, or when required by law
• Professional advisors or authorities when reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, or legal compliance

We do not sell personal information. We do not share visitor personal information with third parties for their own independent marketing without an explicit, documented basis to do so.

We retain contact messages, account information, saved trips, analytics, link-click records, and Trip Planner-related data for as long as needed for Bureau operations, destination reporting, security, and legal obligations, then delete or aggregate them when no longer needed.

Sign-in sessions expire according to our authentication configuration. Chat history stored in your browser remains until you clear it or your browser deletes it.

We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information we hold. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

The Site is intended for a general public audience planning travel to DeSoto County. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to us, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

You may contact us to ask questions about information you submitted through the Site, request a correction to your display name or contact details, or ask about Bureau-held visitor data related to your use of Discover DeSoto. We will respond as required by applicable law and Bureau practice.

You can log out from your Trip Planner profile at any time. Clearing browser cookies and local storage may sign you out and remove device-stored chat history.

To request deletion of account-related information we hold, contact us with the email address tied to your account.

The Site links to partner and third-party websites. Once you leave Discover DeSoto, their privacy policies apply. We encourage you to review those policies before providing personal information to a partner.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date above will change when we do. Continued use of the Site after an update means you accept the revised Policy.

Privacy questions may be sent to DeSoto County Convention & Visitors Bureau using the contact details on this page or through the Site contact form at /contact-us.