They've tried many different tactics to get people out of Ul'dah, although none have been successful due to the fact that Ul'dah is the main hub for party recruiting and socializing. Players keep recommending that the search feature be used more, but even that is still a confusing mess. I hate to say it, but I feel the only solution to get people out of Ul'dah is to implement recruiting and trade chat channels that players enter once in one of the three cities.