Gillian Baynes - Travel Counsellors, Inverclyde, UK

13/06/2026

I am sooooooooo Excited!!!

Take That time 🖤

13/06/2026

When you book your clients into the same hotel as the Scotland Team...

On purpose obviously 👀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

"Just a coincidence" I tell myself while strategically selecting accommodation with maximum Tartan Army potential.

If Scotland are making history at the World Cup, my clients might as well have front-row seats to the celebrations 🍻🇺🇸

Happy 40th Birthday indeed!!!

No Scotland... No Party 😉.... Good Luck Boys!!

12/06/2026

And they're off.... My first Maga booking are on their way!!

Love these pics of them all!

Have a ball guys ###

12/06/2026

So yesterday I made the biggest booking of my career... 🤯💙

After weeks of planning, coordinating, quoting, answering questions and pulling everything together, all the girls and their families are officially booked!

I feel incredibly privileged to be trusted with this group for the third year in a row. To have dance school come back to me year after year means everything to me.

Group bookings are never straightforward. They're time-consuming, challenging and there's a lot of moving parts behind the scenes. But when it all finally comes together, it's worth every second.

This one is extra special as Olivia gets to experience it all too. Watching these girls work so hard for their dream and now seeing it become a reality is amazing.

A HUGE THANK YOU for trusting me with your travel once again.

ASW 2027... They are coming for you! 🌎✨🏆

11/06/2026

The BEST video ever 🩷🩷🩷

I have permission to share the rollercoaster we've been on this week...

On Thursday, my client messaged to say her husband's ESTA had changed from APPROVED to PENDING. By Monday, after hours of stress and some very expensive phone calls, it updated to two devastating words...

NOT AUTHORISED 😭

They are due to fly on Monday.

No explanation... No warning... Nothing... PVG certified for employment... No reason why this could happen.

This is a family who have spent months planning a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the World Cup. We had every emotion imaginable. Do Mum and the kids still go? Does Dad stay behind? Do they lose thousands of £££? What do you even do when nobody seems to have the answers?

At first they laughed at me for staying positive. "It's probably a glitch." "We'll get a visa." Then we discovered the earliest appointment was the end of July.

By today, both of us were in tears. The reality was starting to hit that this dream might not happen.

So we switched into Plan B mode.

I started fighting for every penny I could claw back. We came up with an alternative holiday to Mexico, with Mum and son still flying over to Florida for Scotland v Brazil game... They have tickets!

Then something incredible happened...

A last-minute flight schedule change meant their original flights no longer connected (normally this would be a nightmare!!)

And just like that...

I could cancel the flights with NO CHARGE.

Honestly, we were all bubbling. Me, my client and even the lovely member of head office who had been helping us.

People laugh at me and my manifesting, but I don't care. Good things happen to good people 🩷

So now they're off to the beautiful 5⭐ Moon Palace in Mexico. The very place they got married and always dreamed of taking their children back to.

Mum and son still get their Scotland v Brazil experience, the family still get an incredible holiday, and whilst Dad is gutted not to be making the game, he'll be soaking up the Mexican sunshine with a sombrero and a margarita instead to tune in! 🌴☀️🍹

We've gone from shattered dreams and potentially losing everything to excitement, nostalgia and making brand new memories.
It might not be the holiday we originally planned...

But sometimes life has a funny way of working out exactly as it's supposed to.

Always believe things will work out. Life can surprise you when you least expect it. 🩷

11/06/2026

Today's one of those bittersweet days... 🩷

You know those moments where you should be on top of the world, but your heart just isn't quite there? Today is one of those.

As I sit here today, I'm currently sitting top in the world across all Travel Counsellors. My biggest booking ever was made overnight between midnight and 3am, and under normal circumstances I'd be celebrating.

But this week hasn't been about sales. It's been about emergencies, problem solving and doing everything I can to help clients whose holidays and dreams are hanging in the balance through circumstances completely outwith their control.

Whilst there are some incredible highs happening in my business, my heart is very much with those clients right now.

On a personal note, I finally booked our honeymoon thru the night too 🥹 and I also received our wedding aisle song for the first time. Let's just say that was enough to tip this already emotional woman right over the edge. Cue the tears.

For now, my focus remains on looking after my lovely clients, supporting those affected and keeping a close eye on anything that may need immediate attention.

The team are helping work through enquiries and one of them will be in touch as soon as possible. Any admin queries may take a little longer whilst I work through everything that's going on.

Thank you for your patience, kindness and understanding. It really does mean the world.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to have another wee cry and pull myself back together 💛 ... This one's hitting me hard because there is no reason!!! But we have something up our sleeve to I need all the positive thoughts sent our way ###

✈️💕🥹

10/06/2026

Well well well... The Miss World Hen Weekend is over and it's very much back to reality with a bang! 😂🌎👑

I had the most amazing few days away with the girls, but I think my inbox has taken my absence personally...

Can we also just take a moment to appreciate how AMAZING my hen theme was?! The girls absolutely understood the assignment and I loved every single moment!!

The messages, enquiries and admin are currently winning, but I'm working my way through everything as quickly as I can 🙈💻

If you've filled out my enquiry form, sent a message or are waiting on a reply, please bear with me. I promise I'll get back to everyone as soon as I can.

If your query isn't urgent, I'd be hugely grateful if you could give me until next week to get in touch. It'll help me get through everyone a little quicker.

Thank you for your patience and understanding 💙

Gill ###

👑 ✌️ 😂 💻 ✈️

09/06/2026

Back from my hen, a quick disco nap, and then straight back out to the Pride of Scotland Awards last night ✨

I feel incredibly humbled and honoured to have been invited along by Isla PandO Cruises to such a prestigious event.

A few months ago, Kris nominated me for my customer service and the support I provide to my clients, especially when they need me most, for the chance to win tickets to attend.

I've always loved these awards, but actually being there was something very special. It makes you incredibly proud of the amazing people who live amongst us – People who are selfless, brave and determined, no matter what life throws at them.

From the red carpet moment to spotting faces I've watched on TV for years, it all felt a little surreal if I'm honest. But what I'll remember most are the stories of the incredible people being recognised and celebrated. Their strength, kindness and resilience were truly inspiring.

I'm a big believer that even when life throws challenges your way, there's always something positive to take from it. Sitting in that room last night surrounded by so many remarkable people was a powerful reminder of that.

Thank you so much to Isla and everyone at P&O Cruises for giving me this opportunity, and of course my amazing fiancé Kris my biggest cheerleader. Between my hen weekend, the wedding countdown and the madness of running my business, this was one of those moments where I stopped and thought, "Wow, I'm really lucky."

A memory I'll never forget. 💙✨

🥂✨

06/06/2026

Miss World 🌎💙

04/06/2026