Tibet's Potala Palace will limit the number of visitors to 2,600 a day during the upcoming weeklong National Day holiday, a figure officials expect is enough to serve travelers, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday.

The palace has imposed a tight limit on visitors since 2003 when it underwent renovation, said Qampa Kalsang, the director of the management office of the palace in the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region

A maximum of 2,300 people a day are admitted into the palace most days, the report said.

Tour groups account for 1,600 visits a day while the rest invlove individual visitors. During the peak season, another 300 tickets will be available.

Tourists should book tickets a day before their visit. They should first get a free voucher at the west gate of the Potala Palace by showing their identification cards. Then on the next day, they can exchange the vouchers for tickets at a nearby booking office, the report said.