Last updated: September 26, 2026
This Cookie Policy explains how Wonderful Albania uses cookies and similar technologies on wonderfulalbania.com. It forms part of our privacy information and should be read together with the Privacy Policy.
Where the GDPR and European rules on storing or accessing information on a user’s device apply, strictly necessary technologies may be used without consent when the legal exemption applies. Non-essential analytics, advertising, profiling or comparable tracking technologies should be activated only after valid consent where prior consent is required by applicable law.
1. What cookies and similar technologies are
A cookie is a small text file that a website or third party can store on a browser or device and read during the same visit or a later visit. Similar technologies can include local storage, pixels, tags, software-development tools, device identifiers and other mechanisms used to store, retrieve or transmit information. In this Policy, “cookies” may be used as a convenient collective term unless a distinction is necessary.
2. First-party and third-party technologies
- First-party cookies are set by the domain you are visiting, in this case wonderfulalbania.com.
- Third-party cookies or technologies are set or operated by another provider, for example a service embedded in a page or a provider you visit after clicking an affiliate link.
- Session cookies normally expire when the browser session ends.
- Persistent cookies can remain for a defined period or until they are deleted, depending on their purpose and configuration.
3. Legal basis for using cookies and trackers
Technical cookies and comparable technologies that are strictly necessary to transmit a communication or provide a service expressly requested by the user may be used without prior consent where the applicable ePrivacy rules permit that exemption. Personal data generated through those technologies may be processed on the basis of legitimate interests, contractual necessity or another lawful basis depending on the function.
Technologies used for non-essential analytics, advertising, profiling, personalisation or third-party tracking are subject to consent where required by law. Consent must be freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous, and it must be as easy to withdraw as to give. Closing or ignoring a banner is not treated as consent to non-essential tracking. Consent choices should be recorded only to the extent necessary to demonstrate and respect the user’s preference.
4. Cookie categories used or potentially used on Wonderful Albania
A. Strictly necessary and technical
These technologies support functions such as page delivery, security, administrator authentication, session management, fraud prevention, load balancing and recording privacy choices. They are not used for unrelated advertising or behavioural profiling. Blocking them can prevent the site or a requested function from working correctly.
B. Preferences and functionality
These technologies remember optional settings chosen by a user, such as interface preferences or information entered for a convenience feature. If the technology is not strictly necessary to provide the service requested, consent may be required before it is stored or accessed.
C. Analytics and audience measurement
Analytics technologies measure visits and interactions so that we can understand which pages are useful and whether the site is performing correctly. The database supplied for Wonderful Albania indicates the use of Jetpack Stats. Jetpack Stats processes visitor information for audience measurement and, according to Jetpack documentation, identifiable Stats logs are retained by Automattic for 28 days. The site owner generally receives aggregated statistics. Whether consent is required depends on the technology, configuration and law that applies.
D. Third-party content and affiliate technologies
Some articles may contain affiliate links or embedded travel widgets from providers such as Booking.com and GetYourGuide. An ordinary outbound link does not necessarily cause a third party to place a cookie on Wonderful Albania. Once you visit the partner’s website, however, the partner may set or read its own cookies to maintain a session, remember choices, measure performance, attribute a referral or booking, prevent fraud, personalise content or perform marketing subject to its own legal obligations. An embedded widget may also communicate with the provider when it loads or when you interact with it.
5. Known WordPress and site-management cookies
The exact cookies present at any moment depend on whether the visitor logs in, comments, uses an optional feature, or is an administrator. The following table describes common WordPress cookies relevant to this type of site. A cookie listed here is not necessarily placed on every visitor’s device.
| Cookie / pattern | Typical purpose | Typical duration / scope |
|---|---|---|
| wordpress_logged_in_* | Keeps an authenticated WordPress user logged in and identifies the logged-in session. | Normally limited to the login session or the period selected by the user/site configuration. |
| wordpress_sec_* / wordpress_* | Authentication and security for logged-in administrators or users. | Session or login-related period; normally not used for anonymous public browsing. |
| wp-settings-* / wp-settings-time-* | Stores administrator/user interface preferences in WordPress. | Persistent; duration can vary by WordPress configuration. |
| comment_author_* / comment_author_email_* / comment_author_url_* | If the comment convenience option is used, remembers commenter details so they do not need to be re-entered. | Typically persistent; WordPress commonly uses a long convenience period, but actual configuration may vary. |
6. Jetpack and Automattic
Jetpack is active on the site according to the supplied database. Different Jetpack modules use different technologies. Jetpack’s own cookie documentation lists cookies for features such as secure sign-on, brute-force protection, administrator analytics, subscriptions, comments and other optional modules. Not every Jetpack cookie is relevant to every visitor or every site.
For Jetpack Stats specifically, Jetpack documents the stnojs cookie as an administrator-area cookie used when a user requests to view statistics reports without JavaScript; its documented duration is 2 days. Jetpack also documents tk_ai and tk_qs for certain Jetpack features such as Instant Search or WooCommerce Analytics. Those frontend cookies should not be assumed to be present unless the corresponding features are actually enabled.
Automattic may also process technical and usage information without necessarily relying on a browser cookie for every Stats event. This is why this Policy covers cookies and similar technologies, not cookies alone.
7. Akismet
Akismet is an anti-spam service used with WordPress comments and certain forms. Its primary processing can involve information submitted by the user together with technical data used to identify spam or abuse. Akismet should not be treated as an advertising cookie system; however, its related data processing is described in the Privacy Policy because it can involve personal data.
8. Booking.com affiliate links or integrations
Wonderful Albania may contain Booking.com affiliate links, banners or other integration tools. If you click a Booking.com link, Booking.com may receive referral information and, on its own platform, may use cookies and similar technologies for session management, security, measurement, attribution, personalisation or marketing according to its own Privacy Notice and cookie controls. Booking.com acts independently for processing carried out on its platform.
9. GetYourGuide affiliate links or widgets
Wonderful Albania may contain GetYourGuide affiliate links or widgets. GetYourGuide may use a partner-specific tracking URL or other identifiers to recognise a referred user and attribute an eligible booking. If a widget or other embedded component is configured in a way that uses non-essential tracking on Wonderful Albania, it should be prevented from loading until the required consent has been obtained. Once you access GetYourGuide, its own privacy and cookie preferences apply.
10. Embedded media, maps and other third-party services
Other pages may embed media, maps or tools from external providers. These services can receive your IP address and browser information when a resource is requested and may use cookies or other identifiers. Where such processing is not strictly necessary and prior consent is required, the embed should be blocked or replaced with a consent-based placeholder until the user chooses to activate it.
11. Consent management
Where a consent interface is displayed, it should allow users to make a genuine choice before non-essential trackers are activated. A compliant consent mechanism should, where applicable:
- provide clear information about the purposes and categories of non-essential technologies;
- offer a way to accept optional technologies and a way to reject them while keeping strictly necessary technologies active;
- avoid treating scrolling, continued browsing, silence or pre-selected options as valid consent;
- allow users to make granular choices where appropriate, including by category or provider;
- record the preference only as needed to respect and demonstrate the choice;
- provide an accessible way to change or withdraw the choice later.
If no non-essential cookies or comparable tracking technologies are active, a consent banner may not be required solely for technical cookies; the informational obligations still apply. The actual technical configuration of the site must correspond to the information shown to users.
12. How to change or withdraw your cookie choices
If Wonderful Albania displays a cookie or privacy-preferences control, use that control to review, reject or change optional categories. Withdrawal should apply prospectively and does not make earlier processing unlawful when it was based on valid consent. Previously stored third-party cookies may also need to be deleted through the browser or the third party’s own controls.
13. Browser controls
Most browsers allow you to inspect, block and delete cookies. Browser settings can usually be found under privacy, security or site-data settings. Blocking all cookies may affect login, preferences, comments or other requested features. Browser deletion does not necessarily stop server-side records already created, and a browser control may not cover every technology, so it should be used together with any consent controls offered by the site.
14. Typical duration and retention principles
Cookie duration depends on purpose. Session cookies expire when the browsing session ends or shortly thereafter. Persistent cookies expire after the period configured by the website or provider unless deleted earlier. Security and authentication cookies should be kept only as long as necessary for those functions. Consent-choice records may be retained for the period reasonably necessary to remember the user’s preference and demonstrate compliance, after which the choice can be requested again where appropriate.
For non-cookie personal data associated with a service, the retention period may differ from the browser cookie’s lifetime. For example, Jetpack states that identifiable Stats logs are retained for 28 days, while aggregate statistics can remain available for longer. Third-party providers determine their own retention periods for data under their control.
15. Third-party providers and further information
The following providers are relevant to the current database or content configuration. Their own documentation should be consulted for current cookie names, purposes, legal bases and retention because third parties can change their technologies independently of Wonderful Albania.
| Provider | Role on or from this site | Further information |
|---|---|---|
| Automattic / Jetpack | Website statistics, subscriptions, security/protection and related WordPress services where enabled. | Jetpack Privacy Center and Jetpack Cookies. |
| Automattic / Akismet | Spam and abuse detection for comments or supported forms where enabled. | Automattic Privacy. |
| Booking.com | Affiliate links, banners or travel booking services reached from this site. | Booking.com Privacy Notice. |
| GetYourGuide | Affiliate links or travel activity widgets/services. | GetYourGuide Privacy Policy and the cookie/marketing preference controls available on its platform. |
16. Cookie inventory and changes
Cookie names, domains and lifetimes can change when WordPress, Jetpack, security tools, affiliate integrations or third-party services are updated. For this reason, this Policy describes both known technologies and the purposes/categories that govern their use. The live site configuration should be periodically checked against this Policy, especially after installing or enabling a plugin, adding an embedded widget, changing an analytics service or introducing advertising technology.
17. Data-protection rights
Where identifiers or information collected through cookies constitute personal data and the GDPR applies, you may have rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability and objection, as well as the right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Full details and contact instructions are provided in the Privacy Policy.
18. Contact
For questions about cookies, tracking technologies or privacy choices on Wonderful Albania, contact wonderfulalbania.com@gmail.com.
19. Changes to this Cookie Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy when the website, plugins, service providers, consent mechanism or legal requirements change. The date at the top identifies the current published version. A material change to non-essential tracking practices should also be reflected in the consent interface where applicable.
20. Consent Management Platform (CMP) and privacy choices
Wonderful Albania uses a locally implemented consent-management interface rather than a separate cookie-banner plugin. On the first visit, the interface offers equally accessible choices to reject non-essential technologies, customize categories or accept all optional categories. Closing the first-layer banner with the X is treated as a rejection of non-essential technologies. A persistent Privacy choices control allows users to reopen the settings and change or withdraw a choice at any time.
The CMP stores the first-party technical cookie wa_cmp_consent_v1 for up to 180 days. Its purpose is solely to remember the consent version, the optional categories selected and the time of the choice so the site can respect that choice and avoid repeatedly showing the first-layer banner. This preference cookie is considered necessary for consent management and is not used for advertising or behavioural profiling.
| CMP category | Default before choice | Examples on this site |
|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Active | Core website/security functions and the consent-preference cookie. |
| Analytics | Off | Jetpack Stats page-view and related usage measurement. The site is configured so view/click tracking waits for the Analytics choice; Jetpack may still request its lightweight loader script as part of that integration, but the Stats tracking initialization is not allowed by the CMP before Analytics consent. |
| External content and affiliate widgets | Off | Optional third-party integrations such as GetYourGuide activity widgets. Their script is loaded only after this category is allowed. |
If a user withdraws a category that was already active on the current page, the site may reload the page so previously initialized third-party code is no longer active. Consent choices do not prevent ordinary affiliate links from being displayed; when a user follows an affiliate link, the destination provider processes the subsequent visit under its own privacy and cookie information.