New Chair appointed to South Australian Tourism Commission

Passionate South Australian, media professional and leading advocate for small business, David Koch has today been appointed the next Chair of the South Australian Tourism Commission.

I was pleased to join Premier Peter Malinauskas and Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison this morning to welcome Mr Koch to this important role which he will commence on 2 July.

Mr Koch is the Executive Chairman of Pinstripe Media and has been Chair of the Port Adelaide Football Club since 2012. He is a high-profile finance commentator and was host of the Sunrise program on the Seven Network for over 20 years.

A well-known figure among Australians, Mr Koch has demonstrated incredible passion for South Australia and has been an advocate for the state on many occasions.

Mr Koch is a leading supporter for small business, and I look forward to him championing the thousands of diverse and innovative businesses which make up our state’s tourism industry.

As Chair, Mr Koch will work with the SATC Board to set the strategic agenda for our agency.

I would like to thank outgoing Chair, Andrew Bullock who has served in the role since 2019. Mr Bullock has made a tremendous contribution during this time which has included some of the biggest challenges in our industry’s history. He helped steer the SATC through crises including the COVID-19 pandemic and the once-in-a-century Murray River floods, as well as through to great achievements including a record $10.2 billion visitor economy.

On behalf of the SATC, we look forward to working with Mr Koch to market South Australia to the world and continuing to grow tourism’s contribution to the state.

Thank you,

Emma Terry

Chief Executive Officer
South Australian Tourism Commission

A message from incoming SATC Chair, David Koch

We have so many advantages in South Australia that make us an ideal destination for holiday-makers.

We do the best food and wine in the nation, and we have some of the nation’s most spectacular regions.

We also retain a reputation for delivering first-class major events and festivals.

More recently, the perceptions of Adelaide and South Australia have shifted significantly on the east coast – and we have an opportunity to capitalise on this momentum to grow our tourism sector even further.

I have a passion for small business so a particular focus of mine will be trying to help those in tourism to grow their business through innovation.

I’m excited about the opportunity to Chair the South Australian Tourism Commission and I look forward to working with the Board and the SATC team to market our great State, grow our tourism sector, and support the many businesses that rely upon its success.

Tourism is a huge economic generator and employer for any State which ultimately flows through to providing increased resources for other community services.