Marketing strategies of tourism industry in Uganda: The case of Uganda Tourism Board

Abstract

The major aim of the study is to establish the nature of marketing strategies and the marketing environment in the tourism industry using a case study of Uganda Tourism Board and recommend ways of improving the Board’s marketing strategies. The study uses primary data collected by the researcher purposely to answer the research questions of the present study .The data are collected from employees of UTB from all the departments of the board. The methodology used was cross-sectional survey design with a sample population of 50 respondents. The data is collected using a structured questionnaire which is self-administered from 50 respondents. The findings of the study reveal that UTB pursues several marketing strategies such as the use of fresh graduates who have studied hospitality and tourism management courses as sales service representatives who possess the required customer care skills, use of direct marketing, telemarketing, advertisement, public relations and others. Through the marketing strategies used by UTB, the study has found out that, UTB is encountering several challenges in regard to stiff competition from neighboring countries, fluctuations of the exchange rate of the dollar affects its tour services since most of their services are charged in dollars. Likewise, insecurity in some parts of the country and the neighboring countries forcing their clients to stay away, an example is the ugly Bwindi incident where a number of tourists were killed by the interahamwe bandits from the neighboring Rwanda and DRC. The unreliable infrastructure e.g. poor roads, railway, water and air network affects service delivery in the tourism industry in Uganda, e.g. Uganda has only one International Airport.