Regine Sixt has been named ‘Woman of the Year’ by the prestigious World Travel Awards. Breaking Travel News was on hand as the Sixt Rent a Car president picked up the award at a Gala Ceremony during ITB Berlin.

Regine Sixt, president of Sixt Rent a Car, has been named ‘Woman of the Year’ by World Travel Awards. Ms. Sixt was honoured for her exceptional contribution to the travel and tourism industry over the past year, as well as for her philanthropy work.

The presentation took place during Sixt’s star-studded ITB party, which also included a live performance by the music legend Sir Cliff Richard.

Born and raised in Germany, Regine Sixt began her career at a local car rental company based in Munich. With her husband Erich Sixt, chief executive of Sixt AG, she has helped build Sixt into a global mega-brand, operating more than 230,000 cars across 3,500 locations and 105 countries.

She is the driving force behind the Sixt expansion throughout the world, and directs everything from the corporate identity to the performance at airport locations.

In 2000, she launched her own children’s charity – Drying Little Tears - which supports and finances various projects for children throughout the world. These include a kindergarten in the townships of Cape Town, an orphanage for kids whose parents died of Aids in Gabon, a school in Jerusalem and a children’s hospital in Ecuador.

She also serves at many global advisory boards including ABTA, ASTA, USTOA, Travel Industry Club and Skal.

Graham Cooke, president and founder, World Travel Awards, said: “Regine Sixt is one of the most prolific entrepreneurs in travel and tourism. On behalf of World Travel Awards, I am delighted to honour a true industry leader and a truly inspirational woman.

He added: “She has also leveraged the phenomenal success of her business to conduct a number of admirable charitable projects.”