I’m a travel expert – this is the one place that should be on your bucket list

A self-confessed globetrotter who has visited more than 100 countries, Tanya Rose is undeniably well-placed to wax lyrical on all things travel. She began early, with family holidays in Wales and Cornwall, before embracing the advent of package holidays to Spain and Portugal. Her parents moved to Switzerland when she was still a child where she would explore the mountains and lakes during the summer months. By the age of 13, she had already started making plans for a career within the travel industry.

After finishing school, she worked in hotels in Paris for five years, where she learnt the tricks of the trade from the ground up, including chambermaiding, reception and reservations roles, before joining famed hotelier Peter de Savary for a daunting initiation into the world of PR. “I literally had no clue what I was doing, but it was the best learning experience I could have had,” she reflects.

From there, she moved to the Savoy group of hotels before establishing PR company Mason Rose in 1993, where looking after some of the world’s finest hotels involves visiting them. “I pinch myself every day,” she says. “I’m incredibly lucky and privileged.”

In 2023, she launched the podcast series Travel Secrets, where an eclectic mix of celebrities share their perspective on the art of travel, including insider tips. “This podcast might not change your life, but it might just change your plans,” reads the tagline.

“I never imagined it would be this successful, but it’s had amazing momentum,” she says. Previous guests include Richard E Grant, Dina Asher-Smith, Celia Imrie and Jameela Jamil. And it’s this diversity that gives the podcast its edge, she says. “They’ve all done really interesting things and they’re talking about travel in the broader sense of how it enhances their lives. And it’s not just luxury – they’re talking about their best meal or their most poignant experience.”

One standout episode involves actor James Norton, who shared a genuinely jaw-dropping travel experience at the tender age of 18. “James went to Tibet and witnessed a Buddhist sky burial,” she recalls. This traditional Tibetan funeral practice involves the deceased’s body being left on a mountaintop.

“It was really quite shocking, but he said it was literally life-changing for him and the most remarkable thing that he had ever seen.”

Norton’s hair-raising revelations aside, Rose describes the podcast as being “a bit like Desert Island Discs – it’s a very easy listen,” she says. “There’s nothing horrible about it.” And she’s right – it’s pure escapism. Guests are asked a series of six questions aimed at uncovering their experience of travel, from the unexpected to their favourite destinations.

In the latter category, two places are mentioned time and again: India and Japan. She describes India as “extraordinary – when I visited, I’d never experienced anything quite like it”. And it’s a country that maintains a grip on the traveller’s imagination. “We did a social media clip about India and it had six million hits. And Japan is just beautiful. In the 100-plus interviews I’ve done, I would say these are the places most guests say have really stood out to them.”

When it comes to bucket lists, there’s one destination that Rose thinks everyone needs to see. “Venice,” she tells me. “I think everyone should go once in their life, if they can. And visitors don’t need to splash lots of cash to enjoy the city, she insists. “I stayed in the most lovely bed and breakfast when I first went about 20 years ago. The mother brought me breakfast in bed and the most delicious coffee I’d ever had. It was right on a canal and I looked out and thought I’d died and gone to heaven. It cost me £30.”

Scotland comes a close second. “Both my mother and grandmother were Scottish and I went to school in Scotland,” she says. “So Scotland is very, very close to my heart.”

And when it comes to money-saving deals, Rose is quick to reply. “Avios points! If you’re clever, you can use air miles for lots of things: trips in Europe, airport lounge access, buying things… you have to manage them properly, but if you do travel, try and use some air miles – and try to go off-season.”

While the travel industry grapples with challenges including overtourism, the climate crisis and a US President hell-bent on scrutinising visitors’ social media accounts, travel’s ability to broaden the mind seems unlikely to diminish any time soon. “I think travel is so important to everyone – it opens people’s eyes,” says Rose.

Making the Travel Secrets podcast is both “a joy and a delight”, she says. “It’s reached so many people. I hope people enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoy doing it and my guests enjoy telling their tales. Long may it last.”

Travel Secrets is available on all podcast platforms