Dharamshala, Dec. 24 -- The sounds of ringing phones in Himachal hotels is bringing back cautious optimism among the stakeholders. The tourism industry is expecting a much-needed breather as popular tourist destinations in the hill state are expected to witness increased footfall during Christmas and New Year.

With the anticipated rise in tourist arrivals, hoteliers expect average hotel occupancy to go up in the coming days. However, stakeholders are also sceptical due to lack of snowfall, which could have otherwise attracted more visitors to the state. So far, only the higher reaches have witnessed light snowfall.

The state's tourism industry had been struggling with low visitor numbers since May, which further declined during the mons...