World Travel Market chairman Fiona Jeffery received her OBE for services to tourism last night dedicating the honour to the industry and her colleagues.
Jeffery, who is also founder and chairman of the international water aid charity Just a Drop, joined Reed Exhibition Companies – the organiser of World Travel Market – in 1986.
Creating the Ministers Summit and World Responsible Tourism Day are listed among her achievements.
She visited Buckingham Palace with her family yesterday to receive the honour. She said: “It was an amazing day. Princess Anne did the presentation, she was very engaging and very interested in the fact that my OBE was for services to tourism.
“I talked to her about Just a Drop and how it had been set up for the industry to give back to destinations, and that we go in at a grass routes level putting water into villages. She said that was brilliant to keep up the good work.”
Jeffery also held a party for industry colleagues last night to thank them for their support. “My OBE is not just for me but something that everyone I’ve worked with has contributed to,” she added.