Tourists traveling on a Viking cruise from the United States tour Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

In the first seven months of this year, Wuxi in Jiangsu province received 166,300 overnight inbound tourists, a staggering increase of 100.5 percent year-on-year.

With the implementation of China's 144-hour visa-free policy, Wuxi municipal bureau of culture, broadcasting and tourism took the initiative to reach strategic cooperation with Viking Cruises while negotiating with leading inbound travel agencies.

International tourists watch performances in Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

On Sept 7, Wuxi welcomed the first tourists traveling on a Viking cruise from the United States. Their three-day tour included visits to Nanchang Street, Lingshan Mountain scenic area, Donglin Academy, and Huishan Ancient Town.

Thanks to the English tour guides, point of sale (POS) machines for foreign currencies, bilingual signs, and bilingual trade descriptions, these US tourists enjoyed a smooth tour in Wuxi.

Traditional Chinese dance is performed in Wuxi. [Photo/WeChat account: wuxishilvyouju]

Local authorities have installed over 400 POS machines at attractions, resorts at the provincial level or above, national tourism blocks, starred hotels, and cultural facilities, and established the International Tourism and Shopping Center at Lingshan Mountain scenic area to facilitate inbound tourism.

Wuxi has also launched six travel routes designed for international tourists, and major cultural facilities and scenic spots offer multilingual services for reservations, guides, and multilingual signs.