鳳凰古城收費:門票148元 網友調侃好男不娶鳳凰女
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.
14日上午鳳凰古城裏多家商鋪關門，北門碼頭圍滿了人抗議古城收費。對此，鳳凰縣有關部門給出了兩點回應：一是“一票制”比原先分景點購票更省錢；二是對於商家的抗議，相關部門正召開緊急會議處理。
4月10日，被譽爲“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啓動“整合收費”，將原來免費的古城景區和南華山神風景區合二爲一，向遊客收取148元的門票。13日14日是鳳凰古城收費的首個週末，相比以前，散客人數明顯減少，多家客棧入住率爲零，使包括客棧老闆、農家船伕在內的相關羣體怨聲不斷。
Six percent said they do not care about the policy since they are not interested in visiting 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 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.
家住鳳凰古城景區內的黃田，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。“太尷尬了，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，有網友發起抵制行動。認證微博袁裕來律師倡議“五一” 假期不去鳳凰旅遊，引近10萬網友轉發。儘管眼下爲旅遊旺季，又逢週末，但鳳凰不少旅店的住宿率爲零，沱江下游的百餘條遊船停擺，這在以往幾乎不可能出現。在鳳凰做旅遊接待工作的白先生無奈地表示，街面上賣土特產的小商販13日一天才賣了18塊錢的東西。
觀察者表示，旅遊業的發展，首要要考慮的應該是如何滿足遊客的需求，其次是如何帶動景區消費的增長。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，遊客選擇權被剝奪，商家利益被綁架，很可能加劇人們對景區旅遊的厭惡感，使景區的發展陷入到惡性循環之中。
