A cultural tour of UAE during Ramadan is proving hard to sell

A UK travel company is offering Ramadan holiday packages to introduce tourists to Dubai's local culture.

A visit to Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi is part of Earth Culture's Ramadan holiday package to the Emirates. Ryan Carter / The National

Think of a holiday to Dubai and glitzy hotels, lazing on the beach, shopping in vast luxurious malls, and lavish brunches normally spring to mind. A UK travel company is offering something different.

Earth Cultures wants to introduce tourists to the cultural side of Dubai by offering a Ramadan tour of the UAE that gives guests experience and education about the holy month.

"We're trying to bring the people much more to the fore of the trip," said Richard Worrall, the managing director of Earth Cultures, a small travel company launched last year with a focus on cultural holidays. "Most trips almost bypass the people and you just see the sights."

He said visitors to the Emirates were too often exposed only to the westernised side of the country.

The company's six and eight-day tours take in Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi, with guests staying at the four-star Qamardeen hotel in Dubai's Downtown Burj Khalifa area.

They include visits to Dubai's Jumeriah Mosque and Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Mosque as well as souqs. The itinerary also takes visitors to iftars and a cultural awareness session hosted by an Emirati during which tourists learn more about Ramadan. On one of the days, the programme even includes an iftar with a sheikh and his family at his home in Ajman.

Fasting is optional, Mr Worrall said.

The tours are priced between £1,299 (Dh7,728) and £1,699, excluding flights.

The trips, however, could be a help to hotels during Ramadan, a low season for the hospitality industry. This year Ramadan coincides with the summer month of August, when soaring temperatures put many UK holidaymakers off visiting the UAE. Hoteliers are cutting rates and launching bargain packages to try to tempt tourists and fill empty rooms during the month.

Mr Worrall conceded it was proving a challenge to get people signed up for the tours, partly because of the summer temperatures. The company has yet to confirm any bookings, but he said it was starting to generate interest and he was hopeful they would be able to get some people on the tours so they could go ahead.

"Maybe it's too extreme in a way," he admits. "The whole concept of Ramadan is a period when things maybe don't happen."