World Travel Market (WTM) chairman Fiona Jeffery has been appointed OBE in the New Year Honours list in recognition for her services to the travel and tourism industry.

As a long term advocate of sustainable travel, her achievements include creating World Responsible Tourism day in 2008, after which she was awarded Shine Woman of the Year.

She was also responsible for creating the Ministers Summit.

In 1998, Jeffery founded Just a Drop water aid charity as a way to encourage travel and tourism companies to give back to the world in which the industry operated by helping reduce child mortality caused by unsafe water.

Jeffery also helped to launch the Arabian Travel Market in 1992.

She has since taken over as chairman of the World Travel Market.

Fiona, born in Scotland in 1960 graduated from Edinburgh University.

She is a trustee of the charity The Travel Foundation, a Board Member of Tourism Society and was nominated for the TTG Outstanding Achievement Award in 2011.

Jeffery was among 984 people who were recommended to the Queen for inclusion in the New Year Honour list.

The Order of the British Empire recognises distinguished service to the arts and sciences, public services outside the Civil Service and work with charitable and welfare organisations of all kinds.

Click here to view the Breaking Travel News interview with Fiona at WTM 2011.