Avril Guinn:  Owner

My name is Avril Guinn and I am the owner of Destinations Travel Services in Sterling, Illinois.  I would   like to take this opportunity to tell you about my background in the buisness of travel.  I attended Rupert Stanley College in Belfast, Northern Ireland and studied Travel & Tourism/Business.  I have worked in nearly every department within the industry, including teaching Travel and Tourism.  I started my early travel career working for Oasis travel in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, who over the years have won many times the much coveted award of "Travel Agent of the Year."  By working for Oasis Travel, I developed and understanding of what real customer service means.  After working for many years there, I made the decision of leaving as I needed to further my career and went to work with lunn Poly, which is one of the largest multiple travel agencies throughout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. My starting position with Lunn Poly was Shop manager.  I further developed my career with Lunn Poly by taking an internal transfer position to the United Kingdom managing a much larger shop.  After many years with Lunn Poly, I took another position with Travel Choice, which is another large multiple agency in the United Kingdom.  I had 13 staff and also managed the American Express currency exchange department.  After several years there, I was offered the position of Regional Training Manager and moved to the East end of London.  I held that position until I married my husband and came to Sterling, Illinois in April 2001.  After settling here, I worked for Travel Network in Freeport, IL, and eventually found a closer position at Twin City Travel in Sterling, IL.  I worked at Twin City for four years and I could see that to best use my experience, knowledge, and the desire to incorporate current technologies, it was time for me to take the next natural step in my career.  I wanted to make a difference in the travel industry in this area, and felt the best way to do this was to open my own travel agency.  Therefore, in November, 2005, I made my dreams a reality and opened Destinations Travel Services.  My continued goal is to bring my experience and your vacation dreams together to create a world of possibilities.

I specialize in Europe, in particular, Ireland, France, England, and more.  I also specialize and am certified in arranging destination weddings.  I am a certified Sandals agent and am also a Disney College of Knowledge graduate.

Avril's Favorites:

• Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey
• I am a Disney freak!
• I love Sandals because they offer the whole ultimate package when traveling with your partner.
• I also love Beaches resorts because they have the whole family experience.

Terrie Guinn: Agency Administrator and Travel Advisor

My name is Terrie Guinn; I am the Agency Administrator of  Destinations Travel Services, Inc. and I also hold the position of Travel Advisor.  I do love taking care of all of the financial aspects of the Agency, but I also very much enjoy working with people to make their vacation dreams a reality.

I was born and raised right here in Sterling, IL, but that does not mean I have never ventured out!  I enjoy traveling all over the world and I believe that helps me to understand better the needs of my clients.  It is wonderful to get people excited about reaching their next destination by giving them a firsthand description.

I attended Sauk Valley Community College where I studied Accounting and I have been in Customer Service for over 20 years.  Some of my previous positions held have been in the medical field and employment staffing.  I worked at Eye Surgeons and Associates for five years where I had the privilege of working with some of the finest doctors in the world.  I held the positions of Surgery Schuduling and Medical Transcription.  I have also worked in the Staffing Industry for several years at Lumea Staffing; where I held the position of Staffing Consultant.  I left Lumea to work for Destinations Travel Services, Inc. when they opened in 2005.  Although my career in Travel has not been lengthy, I look forward to continuing to give great customer service to all of my clients; past, present, and future!

I hold several certifications, which include: Sandals Certified Agent, Disney College of Knowledge, Amadeus, Aston Hotels, and Out Rigger Resorts in Hawaii.

Terrie's Favorites: (I really have too many to mention, so I will give you the condensed version!) 

• Jamaica:  The people are super friendly and the beaches are great!
• Mexico:  The ocean is so beautiful and the weather is, too.
• Disney:  Who doesn't love it??  It is the happiest place on earth!
• Sandals:  If you are looking for a romantic getaway, you can't go wrong!!
• Secrets Maroma:  Another great place for honeymooners.