The South Pacific Cruise Alliance (SPCA) has announced the election of its new Chairman, David Vaeafe from American Samoa.

Outgoing Chairman, Ollivier Amaru, from French Polynesia, who has held the position since the SPCA was formed in 2010 said that passing on the baton of the Chairman to Vaeafe will positively enhance the partnership sealed between the South Pacific Cruise Alliance and the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO) earlier this year.

“It makes no doubt that David’s strong involvement within SPTO as a Board Member as well being on the SPCA Board will help grow the Alliance for its members,” Amaru said.

“I look forward to taking on the Chairman role and working to grow the organization, partnering with other relevant Associations like with the New Zealand Cruise Association as co-members of each other organisations, and working to grow the cruise market and increase deployment of ships in the South Pacific Region,” commented Vaeafe.

SPCA members include Pitcairn Island, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga and Fiji and cruise related businesses and ports from each nation.

Vaeafe, who is Executive Director of the American Samoa Visitors Bureau, takes over as SPCA chairman this month.

The SPCA Secretariat currently housed in Pape’ete, French Polynesia will also move to Pago Pago, American Samoa in the New Year.