Iperú Tourist Information and Assistance, or simply Iperú (with lower-case ''p'') ) is the

Perú , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy fo ...

tourism office provided since 1994 by the

Peruvian government The Republic of Peru is a unitary state with a Multi-party system, multi-party semi-presidential system. The current government was established by the 1993 Constitution of Peru. The government is composed of three branches, being executive, judi ...

through the Commission for the Promotion of Exports and Tourism of Perú ( es, Comisión de Promoción de las Exportaciones y el Turismo del Perú, Promperú) and the National Institute for Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (', INDECOPI), to provide domestic and foreign travelers with objective and impartial information as well as support services. The organization's logo is the international tourist information symbol, a lower-case white "i" inside a blue circle, followed by "perú". The Iperú headquarters are in

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

, and there are multilingual offices throughout the country. During 2007, Iperú handled 287,492 cases, including requests for information and for assistance or both, all over Peru.

Functions

Iperú has three core purposes: * To provide visitor information. * To advise tourists on relevant paperwork and procedures required by public and private institutions. * To contribute to the resolution of complaints from tourists against operators of tourist services. Iperú provides free information and services for various sorts of travelers to and within Peru – including tourists, businesspeople and academics – before, during, and even after their trip. The organization has a comprehensive database of registered tourism services in the country, as well as information about places, attractions, routes, and travel times. Iperú also provides assistance in cases of problems arises during a trip or if tourist services are not provided as hired. Iperú is responsible for handling claims submitted by tourists against the suppliers of tourism services, with mediating and conciliatory (but not punitive) powers to resolve them.

History

A cooperation agreement on 24 June 1994 between Promperú and INDECOPI established the Tourist Protection Service (', SPT). Through this agreement, INDECOPI gave to the new bureau the functions of the earlier Consumer Protection Commission (', CPC) in cases against tourism companies. In 2001, noting the need for objective tourist information to visitors in order to prevent adverse incidents and improve the services provided by SPT, it was decided to add the Tourist Information Service (', SIT). Merging the functions of both services gave rise to Iperú Tourist Information and Assistance.

Accessibility

The Iperú headquarters are in

, and there are operations in 12 Peruvian regions, with 30 local offices , which are usually named with the city in which they are located (e.g., the Iperú office in

Iquitos Iquitos (; ) is the capital city of Peru's Maynas Province and Loreto Region. It is the largest metropolis in the Peruvian Amazon, east of the Andes, as well as the ninth-most populous city of Peru. Iquitos is the largest city in the world th ...

, ( Peruvian Amazon), is Iperú Iquitos). Despite being a governmental organization, is accessible in person, by phone and by e-mail 24 hours a day, every day of the week and year. Operators of Iperú typically speak Spanish and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and some are fluent in other languages. Local offices can typically handle 5 or more languages with staff on hand at any given time, and provide published materials in Spanish, English,

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Italian, Russian and

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

. In popular locales, Iperú installs kiosks of tourist information on events or places with large influx of visitors and foreign nationals, such as the celebration of the

Inti Raymi The Inti Raymi (Quechua for "Inti festival") is a traditional religious ceremony of the Inca Empire in honor of the god Inti (Quechua for "sun"), the most venerated deity in Inca religion. It was the celebration of the winter solstice – the s ...

Cusco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the list of cities in Peru, seventh m ...

and the Patronal Feast of Saint John in Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon.

List of offices

Iperú operates 14 offices around the country, in Amazonas, Ancash,

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara and qu, Ariqipa) is a city and capital of province and the eponymous department of Peru. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city ...

Ayacucho Ayacucho (, qu, Ayak'uchu) is the capital city of Ayacucho Region and of Huamanga Province, Ayacucho Region, Peru. During the Inca Empire and Viceroyalty of Peru periods the city was known by the name of Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga), and it c ...

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...

, Lambayeque, La Libertad,

, Loreto,

Piura Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located in the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017. It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro fou ...

Puno Puno (Aymara and qu, Punu) is a city in southeastern Peru, located on the shore of Lake Titicaca. It is the capital city of the Puno Region and the Puno Province with a population of approximately 140,839 (2015 estimate). The city was establish ...

Tacna Tacna was known for its mining industry; it had significant deposits of sodium nitrate and other resources. Its economic prosperity attracted a wave of immigrants from Italy. Today, their Italian Peruvian descendants live in the city and many of t ...

and Tumbes.

References

External links