Analysing the different marketing strategies that have been put in place to promote tourism in Fort Portal as a tourism city

Abstract

In the first chapter, we looked at the introduction of how marketing of urban cities is a factor of making a tourism city a tourism destination with reference to Fort Portal city. In the problem statement, this research study sought to find out the marketing strategies being undertaken to promote tourism in Fort Portal as a tourism city. The main objective was to find out the marketing strategies that have been put in place to promote tourism in Fort Portal, research questions and significance of study were also stated in the first chapter. In chapter two literature review was carried out and the cites duly acknowledged. Under literature review I majorly looked at Urban tourism and how it’s a driving force that needs marketing strategies uplifted in order for it to thrive. Marketing strategies like use of the marketing mix, market segmentation, unique selling position among others were provided in the literature. The importance of coming up with these marketing strategies was also given. Under chapter three, both the qualitative and quantitative research design were used. The study area was mainly focussed on Fort Portal city. The sample population was got from the attraction managers of Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru caves, Tooro botanical gardens and Tooro kingdom palace together with The District Tourism officer, the tourists as well as the sales managers of 4-3-2- and 1-star hotels. The total sample size was 76 respondents where there were 60 tourists, 12 attraction managers, 3 attraction managers and 1 District tourism officer. The main methods of data collection were interviews and questionnaires where the sales managers, attraction mangers and District tourism officer were interviewed. The tourists were given questionnaires. The data was collected, processed and analysed using SPSS for the quantitative data and descriptive statistics for the qualitative data. In chapter four, data was presented in graphs and tables for quantitative data. For qualitative data essays describing the narrations got from the interviews were described. In chapter five, the findings were discussed according to how the objectives were fulfilled. Then finally conclusions and recommendations were made.