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But some have complained a week's notice is inadequate to promote the opening scheduled for Monday

The twice delayed Ngong Ping 360 cable car attraction on Lantau will finally open on  Monday, almost three months after its original launch date was postponed due to system glitches.

The event will be 'a soft opening' with  senior representatives from  operator Skyrail-ITM  and  the MTR Corporation, which owns the 5.7km cable car.

A total of 1,688 tickets for the  opening will be available for sale at HK$88 each starting tomorrow.

Despite it being promoted as a major tourist attraction, a government spokesman said no senior administration officials would  attend.

Tour agents and some shop owners complained that they have not been given enough advance notice to promote the opening.

'We have not yet made a decision about a grand opening ceremony as our focus is on welcoming the people of Hong Kong and tourists from around the world to enjoy the exciting Ngong Ping 360 experience,' Skyrail-ITM managing director Bill Calderwood said.

He said two weeks ago that the cable car would be open before the mainland's National Day holiday that starts on October 1.

The  Tourism Board will work with the Ngong Ping 360 operators to promote the new attraction overseas, its spokesman said. The board is also keen to package the cable car ride with other attractions as part of the 'new Lantau Island tours'.

Victor Chan Chun-yee,  director of the Wo Kee Loong Gift Shop in the Ngong Ping Village, said he had not been told  when the attraction would open, but will introduce various promotions accordingly.

Michael Wu Siu-ieng,  an executive committee member of the  Association of Travel Agents, who was only told of the opening date yesterday, said a week's notice was insufficient  time to arrange for tourists to visit the Lantau attraction on Monday. The opening is two weeks away from the National Day holiday.

'We need at least three weeks to include Ngong Ping 360 in our tour itineraries,' Mr Wu said. 'We need to contact the travel agents so they can add the attraction to their tour packages and one week is too much of a rush.'

In the interim, optional tours offering Ngong Ping 360 to tourists already in Hong Kong were being planned, Mr Wu said.

Discounts of  15  to  20 per cent on the admission price that were originally offered to travel agents bringing in tour groups would  be honoured, Mr Wu said.

Since tourists need three hours to enjoy the new site, Mr Wu said day tours were being marketed with itineraries that included other Lantau attractions, such as the airport, Tai O and the Big Buddha, as well as  city sightseeing.  These packages were  in place  three months ago,  but were put on hold after the original June 24  grand opening for the cable car was delayed.

Monday's opening date was decided in consultation with the government,  the MTR Corp and a fung shui expert.  The  parties  determined the  date after  a week of public trials that ended  last Tuesday.

Sales of tickets for use from September 19 onwards will start on September 15 at MTR customer service counters at the Hong Kong, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon Tong stations.



Date set for delayed Lantau cable car's debut