Exploring the World, Minimizing Risks: Travellers’ Awareness and Risk Perception of Infectious Diseases in the Post-Pandemic Era

Background: The epidemiological alert about the possible spread of different pathogens has highlighted the risk of in-ternational travelers contracting infectious diseases when visiting endemic areas. The role of travelers in disease trans-mission underscores the importance of pre-travel consultations, which provide critical information on health risks, vac-cinations, and preventive measures. Understanding travelers’ risk perceptions and behaviors is essential for enhancing global health security in the post-pandemic era. Methods: A cross-sectional study (June 2023 – January 2024) was con-ducted by administering an anonymous questionnaire at the Rome-Fiumicino Airport International Prophylaxis Clinic (USMAF-SASN). The questionnaire explored demographics, travel patterns, risk perceptions, vaccination behaviors, and sources of health information. Descriptive statistics, and a multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to identify low-risk perception predictors. Results: Among 217 participants, 89.8% were Italian, with a balanced represen-tation of genders. The primary purpose of travel was tourism (61.6%), followed by work-related trip (23.1%). While 77.1% rated preventive measures as effective, 23.2% evaluated infection risk as low. In particular, these last were in the majority male (OR 3.68, p=0.009), teacher (OR 9.85, p=0.025), and hotels users (OR 5.96, p< 0.001). As expected, healthcare professionals and individuals using institutional health sources showed a higher risk awareness. Vaccina-tion uptake at the Airport Clinic was motivated by self-protection, vaccine confidence, and poor time flexibility to access local vaccination services, and last-minute plans, making the airport a more convenient option. Conclusions: Travelers’ risk perception is influenced by gender, profession, accommodation type, and information sources. Public health strate-gies should enhance health literacy, promote pre-travel consultations, and improve access to preventive services. Strengthening collaborations between health authorities, educational institutions, and the travel sector is key to mitigat-ing health risks and ensuring global health security. Future interventions should address structural vaccination barriers and improve outreach to under-informed travelers.