Exploring the world, minimizing risks. Travelers’ awareness and risk perception of infectious diseases in the post-pandemic era

Background: Epidemiological alerts about the possible spread of different pathogens have highlighted the risk of international travelers contracting infectious diseases when visiting endemic areas. The role of travelers in disease transmission underscores the importance of pre-travel consultations, which provide critical information on health risks, vaccinations, 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 conducted 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 representation 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. Being male (aOR 3.63, 95% CI 1.37–9.61), and being a hotel user (aOR 6.27, 95% CI 2.43–16.15), was significantly associated with a lower risk perception. As expected, healthcare professionals and individuals using institutional healthcare sources showed a higher risk awareness. Vaccination 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 strategies 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 mitigating health risks and ensuring global health security. Future interventions should address structural vaccination barriers and improve outreach to under-informed travelers.