Product Development and Travel Trade Readiness Business Support Surveys Privacy Notice

Privacy at a glance

• Participation is voluntary

• Your responses are confidential and used for research only

• Findings are reported anonymously

• Your data will not be used for marketing

• You can access, correct, or request deletion of your data

Privacy Notice

How we hold and process your information

Wavehill is undertaking research on behalf of NewcastleGateshead Initiative as part of the evaluation of the North East Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot.

The purpose of this survey is to gather feedback from businesses that participated in North East DDP support programmes, including Product Development support and Travel Trade Ready support. The information collected will help NewcastleGateshead Initiative and its partners to understand the effectiveness of the support provided, identify outcomes for participating businesses, and inform future visitor economy programmes and investment.

You have been invited to take part because your business participated in one or more of these support activities. Participation in this survey is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to take part, stop participating at any time, or skip any questions you would prefer not to answer.

Survey responses will not be published or shared in a way that could identify you or your business without your permission. Information will be used for research, evaluation and statistical purposes only.

Reports produced from this research may be shared with programme partners and may be published publicly; however, no individual respondents or businesses will be identified in any published outputs.

Anonymised survey data may be retained for longer-term, non-commercial research and evaluation purposes.

Your information will not be shared or used for commercial marketing purposes.

Contact details

If you have any questions about the survey or how your information is used, please contact:

Wavehill

Contact name: Michael Pang

Email: Michael.pang@wavehill.com

Telephone: 0330 1228658

NewcastleGateshead Initiative

Contact name: David Bowe

Email: David Bowe

PRIVACY NOTICE

Your rights under data protection legislation

Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data held by NewcastleGateshead Initiative

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

• In certain circumstances, object to or restrict the processing of your data

• In certain circumstances, request the deletion of your data

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact NewcastleGateshead Initiative using the details above.

If you have concerns about how your data has been handled, you may also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

• Telephone: 0303 123 1113

• Website: https://ico.org.uk

Further information

1. What is this survey for?

This survey forms part of the evaluation of the North East Destination Development Partnership (DDP) pilot programme. It aims to understand how business support activities have helped participating businesses to:

• Improve or develop tourism products

• Become travel trade ready

• Access new markets

• Strengthen performance and grow

The findings will inform future visitor economy programmes and investment decisions.

2. What type of information is collected?

The survey may ask questions about:

• Your business and sector

• Participation in Product Development and/or Travel Trade Ready support

• Satisfaction with the support received

• Changes made to products or services

• Travel trade readiness and market access

• Business performance, outcomes and growth

• Skills, confidence or knowledge gained

• Future support needs

3. Who is responsible for your data?

NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the data controller for this research, meaning it determines how and why data is processed. Wavehill acts as a data processor, carrying out the research and analysis on NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s behalf under a data processing agreement.

4.  How long will data be kept?

Data will be held only for as long as required to complete the evaluation, analysis and reporting process. Following this,  data will be securely deleted or anonymised in line with Wavehill’s and NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s data retention policies. Wavehill will delete data within 6 months of the end of the contract.

5. What is the legal basis for processing the data?

The legal basis for processing personal data is typically:

• Public task – for the purposes of research and evaluation of publicly funded programmes; and/or

• Legitimate interests – to assess programme effectiveness and improve future delivery.

The final legal basis is determined and confirmed by the commissioning organisation, NewcastleGateshead Initiative.

7. What is the purpose of processing your answers?

Your responses will help to:

• Assess the effectiveness of North East DDP business support

• Understand outcomes for participating businesses

• Improve the design and delivery of future business support programmes

• Inform strategic decision-making and future investment in the North East visitor economy

By taking part, you will help shape future support for tourism and hospitality businesses across the region.

8. Who has access to the data?

Access to data will be restricted to authorised staff within Wavehill and NewcastleGateshead Initiative, and where necessary to approved programme partners involved in the evaluation.

Anonymised data may be shared for research, evaluation and reporting purposes.

Secure digital tools, survey platforms and language-processing technologies may be used to analyse responses, always subject to appropriate confidentiality, security and data protection controls. No automated decisions are made that affect individuals. AI is used only to support analysis.

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