iViaggio: the app for safe traveling

he number of people travelling internationally increasesyear after year, mainly due to the more andmore affordable cost of travelling and to the evergreaterease of transportation. Nowadays, any destinationcan be reached within 24 hours by plane, and theimprovement of economic conditions facilitates bothbusiness and leisure travelling, as a matter of fact, accordingto data from the World Tourism Organization,the number of international trips is expected to increaseby 3% to 4% per year.1 However, international travellingposes various health risks depending on travelers’health conditions and the type of trip undertaken. Indeed,travelers may experience sudden changes in altitude,humidity, and temperature that can cause illness.Furthermore, serious health risks can result from poorqualityhousing, poor sanitary conditions, inadequatemedical services, and the unavailability of drinkingwater. Potential risks strictly depend on the destinationand the characteristics of the travel, and for this reason,anybody planning a trip should seek advice on the potentialrisks related to their destination and understandthe protective measures needed to minimize the risk ofcontracting a disease. The risk of infection is linked tothe epidemiology of the single country and to the differentclimatic conditions, which could expose travelers toetiological agents and vectors which are different fromthose which can be found in their countries of origin,but also to lower sanitary levels. Although doctors andtour operators can provide great help and good advice,it is crucial that travelers seek further information, understandthe risks associated with travelling, and takethe necessary precautions during their journey in orderto travel safely. New technologies and applicationfor smartphone (also known as app) might help moreand more in promoting healthy behaviors.2 The greateststrength of health-related apps is that information isprovided through channels already used by the citizenand perceived as “friendly.” Moreover, apps are a greatway to communicate in “one-to-many” mode, in contrastto the standard “one-to-one” healthcare approach;this exponentially increases the quantity of educationalcontent sent. Furthermore, by using the app, users producenew electronic data and make it available to researchersand policy makers, thus creating a new fieldof big-data-based research.3, 4 The aim of this study wasto develop an applications for smartphones (“iViaggio:the travel app, traveling in safety”) (Figure 1), designedto provide information about the main risks associatedwith travelling, also taking into consideration the kindof trip (health risks related to environment, accidents,traumas, and violence, potential risks of infectious diseases).