Immediately is a profoundly unhappy day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the dying, struggling, and financial turmoil it can trigger in Ukraine and, not directly a minimum of, past. Right here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope {that a} diplomatic answer might 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 means of journey. However after we deliver vacationers to a different nation, we additionally deliver their {dollars} — {dollars} that may help Putin’s aggression. Due to this fact, as of immediately, we have now canceled all 2022 excursions that embrace a cease in Russia.
In fact, we’ll maintain a detailed eye on unfolding occasions and monitor any journey impacts by means of the remainder of Europe. However you will need to maintain geographic realities in thoughts and do not forget that a struggle in Ukraine is as removed from our European trip goals as a struggle in Guatemala could be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, we have now lived, labored, and traveled by means of many durations of tragic warfare in lands removed from the place we lead our excursions (and a few nearer). And presently, 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 method that makes us higher and extra engaged residents of our world. I’m flying to Europe subsequent month for a 40-day journey by means of a dozen nice cities from London to Athens — and I’m proud that hundreds 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, help our nation’s leaders as they do their greatest to navigate this disaster, and maintain the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and extra) in our ideas and prayers.
—Rick
