A Sydney restaurant owned by Tourism Minister Andrew Robb and his family is being promoted by a government-funded $40 million, 18-month Tourism Australia campaign that targets 17 key global markets to sell the Australian "foodie" experience to the world.

The Robb family restaurant, Boathouse Palm Beach, is showcased on Tourism Australia's "Restaurant Australia" website, which was launched in May, as the "ultimate day trip destination" just an hour from Sydney and the "perfect place for a relaxed family outing".

The $40 million campaign has recently been launched in Britain, Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong, while more than 80 of the world's leading food and wine "influencers" – including actress Gwyneth Paltrow, celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and English food critic A.A. Gill – will be flown to Australia to sample featured restaurants.

A spokesman for Tourism Australia said any restaurant or cafe could submit their restaurant to feature on the government-funded website and that "the best of these experiences have then been curated by Tourism Australia".