Generic Marketing Strategies and Tour Operators Supply Chain Performance

Abstract

Tanzania’s tourism sector has significant potential, but stagnant visitor arrivals have constrained tour operators’ sales and profitability, while evidence on the combined effects of  cost leadership, differentiation and focus strategies on supply chain performance in emerging tourism markets remain limited. Guided by the Resource-Based View theory, the current study employed a convergent parallel mixed method design. Quantitative data were collected from 230 licenced tour operators using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistic and Structural equation modeling, while qualitative data from 28 interviews were thematically analysed. The findings show that all three strategies positively affect supply chain performance, with differentiation strategy having the strongest effect, followed by cost leadership and focus strategy. The study concludes that aligning generic marketing strategies with internal capabilities and market opportunities strengthens competitive positioning, enhance service value and improve coordination across the tourism supply chain. The study recommends that tourism stakeholders invest in digital capabilities, increase partnerships with local service providers, provide skills training and develop enabling regulatory frameworks to support sustainable competitiveness in the sector.