David Koch will begin his three-year term on July 2, replacing Andrew Bullock, who has chaired the independent body since 2019.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said Koch – a former Sunrise host, longtime Port Adelaide Football Club chair and executive chair of Pinstripe Media – had “always been tremendously passionate” about South Australia.

“He has long been a fierce advocate for small business which is the lifeblood of our tourism industry,” he said.

Koch said he was “excited about the opportunity” to market the state and grow the tourism sector.

“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,” he said.

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

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the state was “very fortunate to have someone of the calibre of David Koch to lead the work of our State’s Tourism Commission”.

“David will give us some fresh perspectives that will enable our sector to keep growing as we outpace the nation,” she said.

The appointment comes after Emma Terry took over as SATC chief executive last year from Rodney Harrex.