Australia's greatest ever meal? Top chefs face tourism challenge

It might be the greatest three-course meal in Australian history, but the general public won't be getting a taste.

Three of Australia's top chefs, Neil Perry, Peter Gilmore and Ben Shewry, have been charged with creating our finest menu for a gala dinner to be held in November that will showcase Australian dining to the world.

The 'Invite the World to Dinner' event, to be held at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, will bring in 80 guests from all over the world, including influential food and wine writers, critics, chefs and celebrities (exactly who is coming is still under wraps, but they will be from Australia's key tourism markets around the world).

The event is part of Tourism Australia's new global campaign 'Restaurant Australia' - the latest part of the 'There's nothing like Australia' campaign launched in 2010. The current campaign puts a focus on Australia's food and wine, fresh produce and unique dining experiences.

Perry, Gilmore and Shewry have outstanding records on the Australian dining scene, with Perry's Rockpool in Sydney and Quay, where Gilmore is executive chef, receiving three hats in the 2014 Good Food Awards. Shewry's Attica, in the Melbourne suburb of Ripponlea, was named Restaurant of the Year at the Melbourne awards.

"This dinner is saying to the world here is Australian cuisine, we have amazing produce, diverse cultural influences and through our cooking we bring a certain spirit of openness, adventure and freedom," said Gilmore.

Australia has enjoyed a surge in overseas visitors in recent times, helped by an economic recovery in the key markets of the United States and United Kingdom.

A Deloitte Access Economics report found international visitors rose by 8.2 per cent in the 12 months to May, the fastest rate of growth in nearly a decade.

Tourists from Asia continue to be the biggest driver but, defying previous trends, a significant increase in tourists from the UK and the US had contributed to the strong growth in international arrivals, Deloitte spokesman Lachlan Smirl says.