Macao's tourist market is expected to be boosted by less government restrictions by in the Chinese inland areas, and the number of inland tourists may hit 3 million in 2000, analysts said.

The return of Macao to the motherland and the massive press report on Macao in the past year will also spur interests of mainlanders, said a bylined article in Tuesday's Macao Daily News.

Due to the handover factor, mainland tourists skyrocketed to 1. 324 million in the first 10 months this year, doubling that in the same period of 1998. The upsurge of travelers was due to relaxation of government permits ahead of the handover.

The number of inland tourists has maintained a steady growth in the past several years, making the inland market one of the three most important ones for Macao. The other two markets are Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Tourist agencies in Macao are also actively marketing their services in inland areas in hope of better performance, the newspaper said.