Gulmarg, Sept 18 (KNS): The Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) on Thursday elected Farooq Kuthoo as its new President for the 2025–27 term during its 17th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Gulmarg. The event also marked the inauguration of the state-of-the-art Gulmarg Convention Centre.
Alongside Kuthoo, Habibulah Pandow was re-elected Vice President, Sajad Kralyari as Secretary General, Ajaz Hussain as Secretary Finance, Nadeem Bukhari as Joint Secretary, Mubarik Sofi as Chief Organiser, and Irshad Parray as Publicity Secretary.
The AGM was attended by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as Chief Guest, Advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani, and MLA Gulmarg Farooq Shah as Guests of Honour. Tourism stakeholders from across Kashmir, Katra, Kargil and Chenab Valley also participated.
The Chief Minister lauded TAAK’s role in tourism promotion, assuring full government support to restore Kashmir’s tourism sector affected by recent challenges. “We will always remember that the first programme at the Gulmarg Convention Centre was TAAK’s 17th AGM,” he said.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Advisor Wani and MLA Shah praised TAAK’s promotional efforts, calling the association a leading force in Kashmir’s tourism growth. Outgoing President Rauf Tramboo highlighted TAAK’s contributions in showcasing J&K’s tourism potential at national and international platforms.
In his vote of thanks, President-elect Kuthoo acknowledged the difficulties faced by the industry due to the Pahalgam incident and negative publicity but expressed optimism about revival. He urged the Tourism Department to intensify promotions through both offline and online platforms.
The AGM also honoured Dr Mushtaq Chaya with the Manzoor Sidiq Memorial Award 2025 for his contributions to tourism, while veteran journalist Yusuf Jameel was recognised for his services in journalism and tourism promotion.
The session concluded with Secretary General Sajad Kralyari presenting the annual administrative report, and proceedings were moderated by past Presidents Peerzada Faiyaz and Ashfaq Sidiq Dug.(KNS)