Inside Indigo 8. In Conversation with Jo Yasui

On hidden London gems, cultural stewardship and shaping travel stories with integrity.

Meet Jo!

1. You consider London your favourite city - what hidden gems would you recommend to someone looking for a local’s perspective off the beaten path?

V&A East Storehouse (Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park):

V&A East Storehouse

Like peeking behind the V&A’s curtain, it's part storehouse and part conservation hub, showing how their vast collection is cared for. With the “Order an Object” service you can even book a private viewing, transforming the collection into something you can connect with personally.

Gégend (Shoreditch):
I love this contemporary tea house, which doubles as a space for art exhibitions and cultural events like gong baths and flower arrangement workshops. Spending an hour in its beautifully-designed interior with a cup of Oolong tea feels like meditation.

Strawberry Hill House

Amrutha (Earlsfield):
A cosy vegan spot rooted in community with a ‘pay what you can’ model – even time can be exchanged for a meal. It’s built on the belief that nourishing food should be accessible to everyone, making the place feel truly welcoming and inclusive.

Strawberry Hill House (Twickenham):
The Georgian Gothic Revival architecture is so whimsical, like walking into a fairytale. I’d pair it with a wander around Richmond afterwards.

2. What are your travel essentials?

A pen, because you never know when you’ll need to sign a form. Moleskin, a saviour for my heels when 10,000 steps a day barely scratches the surface. 

3. With two MAs in Art Business and Digital Asset Management, how do you integrate art, heritage, and sustainability into travel storytelling?

My studies taught me to value culture and heritage, and to think carefully about how they’re preserved and shared responsibly. I bring that perspective into PR by researching the cultural and conservation context of a destination and highlighting the aspects that truly matter. Today, I work with clients who put culture, sustainability and community at the heart of what they do, and my role is to translate those values into storytelling. This means going beyond aesthetics or trends to show that stewardship and sustainability are part of what makes a destination truly special.

4. What are your top travel tips?

I always tuck a foldable reusable bag into my carry-on. It takes up no space and saves me from flimsy single-use ones. I’m naturally a planner, but I’ve learned not to overpack my itinerary: I choose one or two must-do activities each day and leave the rest open for spontaneous discoveries. As a souvenir, I love buying perfume locally. A single scent transports me back to a destination in an instant. And my top tip: I try to learn some local customs and phrases before going. It’s an easy way to connect with and show respect to the community I'm stepping into.

5. You’ve worked across so many destinations. How do you research and curate cultural or conservation-focused experiences that truly resonate?

As a PR professional, I may not design the experiences themselves, but I shape how they’re understood and shared. Whether it’s Broughton Sanctuary and Alladale Wilderness Reserve’s rewilding efforts, Volcanoes Safaris’ support for local communities alongside gorilla conservation, or Four Seasons’ Ayurvedic wellbeing and pioneering marine conservation initiatives, my role is to make sure these values come across in a way that feels genuine and meaningful, so that travelers don’t just see the experience, but connect with the stories and intentions behind it.