Immediately is a profoundly unhappy day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the dying, struggling, and financial turmoil it’ll trigger in Ukraine and, not directly a minimum of, past. Right here at Rick Steves’ Europe, we hope {that a} diplomatic answer will be discovered and peace will return to that fragile and long-suffering a part of our world.
Our mission at RSE is to assist Individuals higher know and perceive our neighbors by journey. However after we convey vacationers to a different nation, we additionally convey their {dollars} — {dollars} that will assist Putin’s aggression. Due to this fact, as of at this time, now we have canceled all 2022 excursions that embody a cease in Russia.
In fact, we’ll hold an in depth eye on unfolding occasions and monitor any journey impacts by the remainder of Europe. However you will need to hold geographic realities in thoughts and keep in mind that a battle in Ukraine is as removed from our European trip desires as a battle in Guatemala can be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, now we have lived, labored, and traveled by many durations of tragic warfare in lands removed from the place we lead our excursions (and a few nearer). And at the moment, we see no purpose to alter the remainder of our journey and touring plans.
The tragic actuality unfolding in Ukraine solely jogs my memory how vital it’s for Individuals 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 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 desires whereas having wealthy studying experiences removed from residence on a 2022 Rick Steves tour.
Within the meantime, let’s be grateful for our blessings, assist our nation’s leaders as they do their finest to navigate this disaster, and hold the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and extra) in our ideas and prayers.
—Rick
