Down Under's upward momentum

Australia also appeals to wealthy Chinese with the fine dining, fresh seafood and quality wine.

"You can sit in fancy indoor restaurants, enjoying the gourmet food, or find an outdoor chateau and chat with the owner over distinctive local cuisine," East says.

In a related development, the country has worked with Australian chefs in China and Chinese new media to promote its food. Australian eateries are also competing for the World's 50 Best Restaurants designation.

Explaining what prompted Australia's food promotion strategy, East says, "We found many Chinese tourists would discover certain restaurants on their own and then recommend them to people around them by word of mouth, which would make the restaurants quite popular."

A number of eateries are preparing special meals for the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, as many Chinese will fly to Australia during the weeklong holiday.

Australian has worked with various airlines to open direct flights connecting China to Australian cities.

A total of 11 new flights were launched in 2017, and another two should be operational by the end of January 2018, East says.

"The number of seats has increased by 40 percent as compared with last year," he adds.