Travel industry professionals from China and the US hold talks during the 2017 China-US Travel Trade Conference in Suzhou on Sept 15. [Photo/ chinadaily. com.cn]

Organized by Suzhou tourism bureau, the China-US conference is expected to help push these figures higher still.

"The exchange activity can promote the reputation and popularity of Suzhou among overseas tourists and help more foreigners get familiar with Suzhou, which will stimulate Suzhou tourism in the American market and improve the quality of Suzhou tourism products," said Lu Feng, deputy director of Suzhou tourism bureau.

The US side offered a series of valuable suggestions on how Suzhou could improve its tourism facilities to make the city even more attractive to US tourists, from clearly labeled English menus and museum exhibits, to hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses and cold water and beer.

But Lannuzzo made clear that these were just small issues compared with Suzhou's many attractions.

"From elegant gardens to stunning temples, picturesque canals, interesting museums, delicious food and welcoming people, Suzhou and its surroundings are definitely destinations we will recommend to our clients," she enthused.

Written by Liu Chuan

Edited by Dominic Morgan