Kashmir's slopes are free of snow - and tourists

As evening draws near, Bashir Ahmad Bhat is still waiting for his first customer of the day. Seven years ago, Bhat, 34, gave up his job as a driver to work in Gulmarg's tourism sector. January is peak season at India's premier ski resort, attracting amateur and professional skiers from around the world.

- Azhar Qadri

The father of two usually earns good money during the four months when Gulmarg, in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir region, is covered in a thick layer of fine powder snow. This season, however, has been a disaster. There was only light snowfall in late January and just one day of snow in December. "It has been a complete loss," said Bhat. "We have never seen such a situation in our lifetime."

Gulmarg is a picturesque town on the western edge of the Kashmir valley. Thousands of people work in the tourism industry, which accounts for 7% of Jammu and Kashmir's annual GDP, which was 2,279bn rupees ($27.4bn) in 2022-23. More than 2.25 million visitors were predicted to visit the region last year, according to the territory's lieutenant-governor, a figure that includes pilgrims as well as tourists.