Rodney Harrex is the Chief Executive of the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC).

Leading the team charged with growing the state’s dynamic tourism sector, Rodney is committed to driving South Australia’s visitor economy to the ambitious $12.8 billion by 2030. He successfully led the SATC to achieving the record high $8.1 billion visitor economy in early 2020 – achieved 12 months earlier than projected.

Since joining the SATC in 2013, he has worked with the agency’s passionate and innovative team to ensure SA’s tourism sector has grown from strength to strength. As a key economic driver for the state, tourism is not only recognised for its financial value, but also its significant contribution to employment statewide.

Rodney is focused on continuing to grow the visitor economy by implementing innovative marketing programs that engage consumers and running events to drive visitation, enhancing our state’s positioning as a diverse and attractive place to visit.  

Under his direction, South Australia has established unprecedented growth - and set even bolder targets for the next decade through the SA Visitor Economy Sector Plan 2030 – despite its recent challenges of COVID-19 and bushfires.

During this period, the SATC has won the right to host many world-class events, conferences and exhibitions, and is considered a leader in this field.

Prior to his role at the SATC, Rodney was General Manager, UK and Northern Europe for Tourism Australia.