Winter snow and rain arrived in India and Pakistan this week after an unusually long dry spell that kept tourists away and raised concerns about agricultural production and water reserves.
Heavy snow began falling in the Kashmir Valley in northern India on Monday, two months later than usual for the Himalayan region, much to the relief of tourism operators and farmers.
Gulmarg, a popular ski resort in the area, began welcoming tourists in more encouraging numbers after weeks of bookings being cancelled because of the lack of snow.
“We are having good arrivals for the last few days and bookings are getting renewed,” said Rouf Ahmad Tramboo, president of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir.
With more snow forecast, the association is now trying to make up for lost business and is expecting good numbers in February, he said.
“We have started campaigning on social media where we share videos of snowfall … we have everything at stake and we are trying our best to undo the…