Tourism Australia's new advertising campaign to spruik food and wine

(DT) - AUSTRALIA'S tourism bosses have thrown out the old view of a nation throwing shrimps on the barbie and swilling cans of Fosters beer in favour of a more sophisticated impression of a country offering exotic dining locations, pristine produce, and world class wines. 

The new gourmet version of Australia as a gastronomically enhanced tourist destination will be unveiled today in Adelaide at a major global wine industry forum Savour Australia.

In a joint announcement from Tourism Australia and Wine Australia, a new marketing campaign will be developed to tell the world we serve up more than kangaroo, meat pies and frothing beers.

The campaign, called "Restaurant Australia", has been developed after in-depth research in 15 markets around the world revealed good food and wine experiences have become a major factor in deciding on holiday destinations.

Researchers questioned more than 13,000 people in China, India, Japan, Germany, the UK, the US and other key markets.

Only 26 per cent of those who hadn't visited Australia associated us with good food and wine while 60 per cent of tourists who had visited ranked us second only to France and better than Italy, Spain and Japan for our culinary delights.