Local authorities in Fenghuang County of southwest China's Hunan Province have eliminated entrance fees they used to charge tourists for visiting the town.

A photo shows the scenery of the ancient Fenghuang town in southwest China's Hunan Province on April 9, 2016. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

The local government says the fees were no longer consistent with the current development of the tourism market.

The ancient Fenghuang township is a renowned tourist area featuring tranquil sceneries, antique lifestyles and the traditional culture of the Miao ethnic group.

The local government started charging a fee of 148 yuan, or around 23 US dollars, per person in 2013, as an attempt to protect the town and to regulate its tourism market.

The investment company behind the Fenghuang tourism project says the elimination of the fees was a result of disagreements over profit distributions between itself and the local government.

China's national and some provincial authorities have banned certain administrative tourist charges, which are included in the total ticket prices, levied by local governments. According to the investment company, despite this, Fenghuang authorities still wanted the same portions of revenues as before the bans were implemented.

Since their inception, the fees have slowed local tourism and drawn criticism by the town's residents and business communities.

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