TAAK elects Ashfaq as its new President
Calling the tourism stakeholder to launch aggressive marketing campaigns, the Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah Saturday said the department is trying to counter negative perception and media publicity through a multi-pronged strategy
He was speaking as a chief guest at 9th Annual General Meeting of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir here at Hotel New Park.
In the AGM, TAAK elected Ashfaq Siddiq Dug as its new President.
Director Tourism Kashmir while welcoming the new TAAK body appreciated the role of the former president Late Manzoor Siddiq.
He said Manzoor Siddiq was one of the torch bearers of the travel industry whose contribution to the travel and hospitality sector will always be remembered.
He said the new body has to follow the examples of the Manzoor Siddiq who was very vocal and at the fore front in tourism promotional campaigns.
Director tourism Kashmir said the department would organize more road shows in different parts of the country especially in South India to attract tourists back to the J&K state which saw low tourist footfall due to negative publicity.
“We all have to do aggressive marketing campaign together through road shows and other forms to counter negative media publicity. The tourism stakeholders will also have to pitch in from the grass root level to put up a united counter promotional campaign to offset all the fears the travelers have,” he said.
While enumerating the positive effects of the promotion through social media, the director tourism Kashmir also urged the travel trade fraternity to use their social media accounts to promote Kashmir.
“We have to launch tourism promotional campaigns collectively and also individually. Every travel agent, hotelier or a houseboat owner should promote tourism through their social media accounts to launch massive counter campaign,” he said while addressing the members of TAAK.
He said the department is also tapping South Indian market where from tourist footfall is encouraging.
He, however, said the arrivals from the countries like Bangladesh, Malaysia and Thailand has picked up.
Director Tourism said the Kashmir is also getting good number crews to shoot their films in Kashmir.
Director tourism also hailed the democratic set up of the travel trade associations while electing their body.
Director Floriculture M H Mir, Deputy Directors at Tourism department Peerzada Zahoor and Waseem Raja besides representatives from other travel trade and hotel associations were present on occasion.
The new TAAK office bearers body which took oath today at its 9th AGM, include Ashfaq Siddiq Dug as its President, Habibullah Pandow as Vice President, Farooq A Kuthoo as Secretary General, Showkat Ahmad Khankashi as Joint Secretary, Mohammad Shafi Jan as Secretary Finance, Syed Ishtiyaq Kamli as Secretary Publicity, Abdul Ahad Tantray as Chief Organizer.
Nine members who were elected to Executive Committee are Sheikh Parvez, Aijaz Ahmed Raga, Bilal Ahmad Mir, Mir Denial, Malik Hameedullah Bazaz, Asif Siddiq, Ishfaq Ahmad Malik, Irshad Ahmad Hazari, and Ghulam Nabi Bhat.
Earlier, the Secretary General Farooq Kuthoo read out AGM report and former President Rauf Tramboo moderated the event while Abdul Ahad Tantray presented vote of thanks. The former VC president Malik Hameedullah Bazaz also spoke on the occasion and hailed the contribution of the former present Manzoor Siddiq.
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