The Michelin Guide is coming to South Australia. The rest of the country will be watching |
South Australia will become the first Australian destination included in the Michelin Guide, with the inaugural selection to be revealed in October.
The guide began in France in 1900 as a road guide created by the Michelin tyre company to encourage motorists to travel (there were just 3,000 cars in France at the time). Under the original system, one star was “worth a stop”, two stars was “worth a detour”, and three stars was “worth a special journey”.
It would go on to become one of the world’s most influential restaurant guides.
The South Australian launch is a joint venture with the state government’s tourism commission and Michelin, with the exact dollar figure – almost certainly in the millions – invested by the tourism body under wraps.
The announcement has been celebrated across the hospitality and tourism industries. Local coverage has framed it as a major win for the state’s food and wine reputation.
While Michelin began as a French guide and later expanded across Europe, its newer international expansion has increasingly involved public tourism funding and destination partnership.
So what does it mean when local tourism organisations and government bodies pay to bring the guide into their markets?
Michelin as tourism infrastructure
Bringing the guide to new destinations through public tourism funding does not mean restaurants can pay for stars.
Tourism bodies may fund Michelin to........