Tourism Australia Managing Director Andrew McEvoy confirmed that the national tourism organisation plans to include a greater focus on Australia's culinary and wine offering in its current There's nothing like Australia global campaign.
"People travel on their bellies, and how better to fuel people's appetite for our country than by showcasing the very best of our food and wine experiences," Mr McEvoy said.
The new push is backed by international research carried out by BDA Marketing last year on behalf of Tourism Australia which showed that people who have visited Australia rank the country's food and wine very highly.
"Research we've recently carried out with consumers from our largest inbound markets has shown that when they travel Down Under and experience first-hand the quality and diversity of our food and wine experiences, we exceed their expectations and rank very highly against competitor destinations. However people who have never visited Australia have a very limited understanding of the quality and variety we offer and associate us with old fashioned stereotypes," Mr McEvoy said.
Recent research showed that highlighting the country's best food and wine tourism experiences increased consumer motivation to travel to Australia by 30 per cent.
"Food and wine is an area where we have a great opportunity to stand out - perhaps a missing ingredient we can use to reignite people's passion for our country and help overcome the over-familiarity which some overseas markets may have of Australia.
"Our global campaign, There's nothing like Australia, has been a huge success all over the world. It highlights the unique experiences Australia has to offer, in particular our stunning natural beauty and our warm and welcoming people.
"We see an opportunity to build on this, showcasing our incredible fresh produce - from barramundi and mud crabs to mangos and grapes - and the people from different cultures who make that produce into unforgettable meals from around the world," he said.
Tourism Australia's new food and wine strategy is still under development but is likely to emphasise the wide range of food experiences available to visitors to Australia, from deep sea fishing to cheese making, from wine tasting to shucking fresh oysters and from attending a food and wine festival to dining on five star food overlooking Sydney Harbour.
Tourism Australia expects to involve international food journalists and bloggers, and local chefs and wine makers. All profiling Australia's leading food and wine experiences.
The national tourism organisation's partnership with Wine Australia will form an important part of the strategy to be announced.
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