Srinagar, Dec. 23 -- A long-awaited spell of snowfall across major tourist destinations in the Kashmir Valley on Sunday brought widespread cheer among tourists and renewed optimism among stakeholders associated with the tourism industry. The fresh snowfall also brought much-needed relief by ending a prolonged dry spell that had raised concerns over winter tourism in the Valley.

Popular tourist hubs - Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg - witnessed snowfall ranging between two and five inches throughout Sunday that also marked the beginning of Chillai Kalan - Valley's harshest 40-day winter period. The landscape was transformed into a winter wonderland as a thick white blanket of snow covered meadows, forests and rooftops, delighting visitors ...