Costa Cruises has announced the appointment of Luigi Stefanelli as associate vice president for the Southern Europe region.

According to a press release, Stefanelli will be responsible for Italy, Spain, France and Portugal.

In his new role, Stefanelli will try to ensure the sustainable development of the region and its profitability.

“I believe this appointment can give a great boost to the commercial development of the Southern Europe Region,” said Roberto Alberti, Costa Cruises’ senior vice president and chief commercial officer. “For us, these markets play a fundamental role and, thanks to the great international experience gained in recent years by Luigi, we are confident that we will be even more effective in the execution of our commercial strategy”.

Stefanelli gained has previously achieved great results at Costa Cruises, having worked in Asia and Europe, the company said.

Now, he will extend his responsibility to Italy while maintaining his previous positions as general manager for Spain and Portugal and general manager for France. 

Previously, Stefanelli has held roles in different countries where the Italian company operates. He served as business development and pricing director for the Asia Pacific and Australia area and spent years in Shanghai. He also served as general manager for the Costa and AIDA brands for the Austrian and Swiss markets and later as general manager for Central Europe.