Immediately is a profoundly unhappy day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the dying, struggling, and financial turmoil it would trigger in Ukraine and, not directly a minimum of, past. Right here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope {that a} diplomatic answer could be discovered and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering a part of our world.
Our mission at RSE is to assist People higher know and perceive our neighbors by way of journey. However after we carry vacationers to a different nation, we additionally carry their {dollars} — {dollars} that might assist Putin’s aggression. Due to this fact, as of right this moment, now we have canceled all 2022 excursions that embody a cease in Russia.
After all, we are going to preserve a detailed eye on unfolding occasions and monitor any journey impacts by way of the remainder of Europe. However you will need to preserve geographic realities in thoughts and keep in mind that a warfare in Ukraine is as removed from our European trip goals as a warfare in Guatemala could be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, now we have lived, labored, and traveled by way of many intervals of tragic warfare in lands removed from the place we lead our excursions (and a few nearer). And right now, we see no motive to alter the remainder of our journey and touring plans.
The tragic actuality unfolding in Ukraine solely jogs my memory how essential it’s for People to maintain on touring and to take action in a approach that makes us higher and extra engaged residents of our world. I’m flying to Europe subsequent month for a 40-day journey by way of a dozen nice cities from London to Athens — and I’m proud that 1000’s of my fellow vacationers will expertise the European journey of their goals whereas having wealthy studying experiences removed from dwelling on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.
Within the meantime, let’s be glad about our blessings, assist our nation’s leaders as they do their greatest to navigate this disaster, and preserve the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and extra) in our ideas and prayers.
—Rick
