Cusco, Peru -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/11/2010 -- Latin American tour operator Escaped To Peru, part of Escaped to Latin America, has introduced additional measures to maintain its high levels of customer trust. This follows Transparency International’s recent poor rating of Peru in its Corruption Index.

These actions taken by Escaped to Peru follow the recent release of Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. The Index gave Peru a ranking of 78th out of 178 countries assessed. This represented a drop of three places from the previous year, giving an impression that Peru is an increasingly corrupt country and this could maybe affect the choices vacationers make.

To compensate for any loss in confidence by tourists, Escaped To Peru has conducted a full audit of all its Latin American suppliers. The purpose of the audit has been to ensure that the monies paid to its suppliers are not being siphoned off by corrupt officials or managers. This complies with Escaped To Peru’s policy of Responsible Tourism and of trying to generate as much income as possible for locally-based suppliers.

“Peru and Latin America have always been tied to issues with corruption,” Gary Sargent, Managing Director of Escaped To Peru, explained, “And it’s an inevitable part of having to conduct business here.”

“Escaped To Latin America and Escaped to Peru have never tolerated corrupt practices in its business dealings and we practice ethical and responsible practices and I regularly meet the owners and managers of all the suppliers we use” Mr. Sargent stated. “Nevertheless, Transparency International’s ranking has raised the profile of these regional problems, and Escaped To Peru needs to remind potential customers and existing clients that we take them very seriously.”

“Our customers can always feel secure in the knowledge that they are not unwittingly supporting corrupt activities,” Mr. Sargent concluded, “This way, they can relax and enjoy their vacation knowing that their payments are finding their way to the right people in the local communities in which Escaped To Peru operates.”

“Peru is an unmissable vacation destination, and it would be a shame if potential tourists decided to avoid it because of corruption concerns,” he added.

Transparency International is a global civil society organization that fights corruption through a network that includes more than 90 locally established national chapters and chapters in formation. Transparency International’s index uses surveys of experts and business leaders to provide a measure of the perception of corruption in each country.