NEW DELHI, Oct 7 (Reuters) - India's Jammu and Kashmir has received 16.2 million tourists this year, the most since British colonial rule ended in 1947, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government said was a sign of economic development in the strife-torn region.Known for its snow-topped Himalayan mountains, fast-flowing rivers, Mughal-era gardens, Alpine meadows and houseboats around a beautiful lake, the federal territory has seen a resurgence in domestic tourism since most COVID-19 restrictions ended this year.The record tourist arrivals are a boon for Modi's government, which withdrew Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir's special rights in 2019, stripping it of its status as a state in reforms it said were aimed at integrating it with the rest of the country.Along with horticulture and agriculture, tourism is an important industry for Kashmir, accounting for about 7% to its economy, according to government data.Last month, a top government official inaugurated a multi-screen cinema hall in Srinagar, the largest city in Kashmir, more than two decades after cinemas were closed there."