At present is a profoundly unhappy day. Russia’s aggressive motion is heartbreaking for the loss of life, struggling, and financial turmoil it can trigger in Ukraine and, not directly not less than, 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 Individuals higher know and perceive our neighbors via journey. However once we carry vacationers to a different nation, we additionally carry their {dollars} — {dollars} that will assist Putin’s aggression. Due to this fact, as of right this moment, we’ve canceled all 2022 excursions that embody a cease in Russia.
In fact, we’ll maintain an in depth eye on unfolding occasions and monitor any journey impacts via the remainder of Europe. However you will need to maintain geographic realities in thoughts and do not forget that a conflict in Ukraine is as removed from our European trip desires as a conflict in Guatemala can be from Texas or Florida. For 40 years now, we’ve lived, labored, and traveled via 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 vary the remainder of our journey and touring plans.
The tragic actuality unfolding in Ukraine solely jogs my memory how essential it’s for Individuals to maintain on touring and to take action in a manner that makes us higher and extra engaged residents of our world. I’m flying to Europe subsequent month for a 40-day journey via 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 house 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 maintain the troubled corners of our world (Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, and extra) in our ideas and prayers.
—Rick