Tunis, Istanbul top Middle East city rankings for ‘mindful travelers’

Tunis, Istanbul top Middle East city rankings for ‘mindful travelers’

There are only a few cities that appeal to “mindful travelers” in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to a recent index. Tunis, Istanbul and Tel Aviv are the top three.

Travel website Kayak.com released its “2023 City Index for Mindful Travelers” last week. It ranks 167 cities worldwide based on 28 diverse factors including the destination's popularity, accommodation and transportation availabilities, air quality and cost.

In the Middle East and North Africa region, only a handful of cities have managed to qualify for the list and Tunis stands as the top for mindful travelers, the index shows. 

“Tunis, Tunisia, landed a very attractive first place in our rankings for this region, and for many good reasons,” the website reads, citing various factors including relatively cheap flights depending on the season and a wealth of local markets. 

Tel Aviv follows Tunis "primarily because it's making strides on the transport front,” it reads, adding that in addition to plenty of charging stations for electric vehicles, the city is also “bike friendly.”

Dubai, the third top city in the region, “offers a good number of cultural attractions and local markets to visit,” according to the index. 

Abu Dhabi and Cairo are the other MENA cities that made their