The older traveller

Abstract

All over the world there has been a sudden increase in the number of international travels, mostly for touristic purposes. According to the World Tourism Organisation, the number of international journeys exceeded 1.323 billion in 2017 and it continues to grow. Of the growing number of travellers more and more are the elderly (> 65 years), this fact can be attributed to longer life expectancy and a better quality of life, especially in the developed countries. The article lists the main destinations chosen by senior tourists and their reasons for travel, it also discusses physiological changes in organs and systems affecting the elderly, which are the result of travelling across time zones and to areas with different environment. The article looks at various groups of patients affected by chronic diseases and examines health-related consequences of travel, including the most common complications. The general health prevention measures, with emphasis on vaccinations and antimalarial chemoprophylaxis, have also been discussed.