The introduction of an entry fee for an ancient scenic town in Hunan province has led to a sharp decline in tourists, and Chinese Internet users say the policy discourages visitors.

"We have begun to witness the impact of the new policy," a female employee at March Inn in Fenghuang county, which is well known for its historical and scenic attractions, said on Sunday. She declined to give her name.

"All the rooms in my hostel were usually booked up during weekends in the past, but this weekend we have seen a sharp drop in guests and reservation. There are far fewer tourists on the streets than before."

According to an online poll by Sina, one of China's most popular news websites, nearly 93 percent of respondents said they will not go to Fenghuang because of the charge. The poll had drawn nearly 90,000 participants by late Sunday.

Six percent said they do not care about the policy since they are not interested in visiting Fenghuang.Only 1 percent said they will go to the ancient town regardless of the cost.

Tourism is Fenghuang'a main industry. According to the county government, Fenghuang received around 2.3 million travelers and earned 5.3 billion yuan ($856 million) in tourism revenue last year. The industry provided more than 20,000 jobs, and about 60,000 people make a living by serving tourists.

To "regulate the tourism market", the county issued a ticket policy on Wednesday that stipulates tourists must pay an entrance fee of 148 yuan to visit the old town of Fenghuang, which includes admission to 10 scenic areas.

Entry to the town used to be free but tourists had to buy tickets for each scenic spot they visited.The measure has sparked a backlash from businesses and tourists.

Concerned business owners staged a protest on Thursday, blocking access to tourist sites and requesting authorities adjust the charge policy.

The crowd was later dispersed by law enforcement officers, and four people involved in a physical conflict with officers were taken away by police, Cai Long, deputy head of the county government, said on Saturday.

He said the policy was introduced to regulate the tourism market and will help to protect the old town and benefit business in the long run.

Meanwhile, Zhao Haifeng, executive deputy head of Fenghuang county, said the government is aware of the policy's effect on small businesses and will take measures to assist them.

However, business owners remain skeptical toward the policy and its possible consequences.

【新聞快訊】

14日上午鳳凰古城里多家商鋪關(guān)門，北門碼頭圍滿了人抗議古城收費。對此，鳳凰縣有關(guān)部門給出了兩點回應(yīng)：一是“一票制”比原先分景點購票更省錢；二是對于商家的抗議，相關(guān)部門正召開緊急會議處理。

4月10日，被譽為“中國最美小城”的湖南湘西土家族苗族自治州鳳凰古城正式啟動“整合收費”，將原來免費的古城景區(qū)和南華山神風(fēng)景區(qū)合二為一，向游客收取148元的門票。13日14日是鳳凰古城收費的首個周末，相比以前，散客人數(shù)明顯減少，多家客棧入住率為零，使包括客棧老板、農(nóng)家船夫在內(nèi)的相關(guān)群體怨聲不斷。

家住鳳凰古城景區(qū)內(nèi)的黃田，12日本想帶女友回家見父母，卻被擋在鳳凰古城西門檢票口?！疤珜擂瘟?，太沒有面子了！”黃田報怨說。這位青年的感情被深深傷害了。

針對古城收費的舉措，有網(wǎng)友發(fā)起抵制行動。認證微博袁裕來律師倡議“五一” 假期不去鳳凰旅游，引近10萬網(wǎng)友轉(zhuǎn)發(fā)。盡管眼下為旅游旺季，又逢周末，但鳳凰不少旅店的住宿率為零，沱江下游的百余條游船停擺，這在以往幾乎不可能出現(xiàn)。在鳳凰做旅游接待工作的白先生無奈地表示，街面上賣土特產(chǎn)的小商販13日一天才賣了18塊錢的東西。

觀察者表示，旅游業(yè)的發(fā)展，首要要考慮的應(yīng)該是如何滿足游客的需求，其次是如何帶動景區(qū)消費的增長。相反，單純依靠行政力強收門票，無疑有違按照市場規(guī)律辦事的原則。在諸如此類的“門票新政”推行過程中，誰都不會是贏家。強制消費之下，游客選擇權(quán)被剝奪，商家利益被綁架，很可能加劇人們對景區(qū)旅游的厭惡感，使景區(qū)的發(fā)展陷入到惡性循環(huán)之中。