Why Every Experience Provider Should Do a Gemba Walk

Introduction

When was the last time you truly walked in your guest’s shoes? Not glanced at a report. Not read a review. But physically followed the guest path, observing, listening, asking questions, and experiencing what they experience. Welcome to the power of the Gemba Walk.

What is a Gemba Walk?

“Gemba” is a Japanese word that means “the real place.” In business, it refers to the place where value is created. In manufacturing, that’s the factory floor. In hospitality and attractions? It’s wherever your guests are. A Gemba Walk is about going to where things actually happen, in this case, your guest experience, and seeing it with fresh eyes. Not to micromanage, but to observe, learn, and improve. It’s one of the simplest, most powerful tools for aligning your team around delivering a better experience.

How to Do a Gemba Walk for Your Guest Experience

Here's how to make your Gemba Walk meaningful, not just a stroll.

1. Get Outside Your Bubble

Start by inviting people from outside your day-to-day operations. This could be colleagues from another department, friends who don’t work in hospitality, or even regular guests willing to play “mystery shopper” for a day. The goal? Fresh perspectives. You know your experience too well. Outsiders notice the things you’ve become blind to.

2. Observe, Don’t Intervene

Pick a guest flow, arrival, check-in, onboarding, a specific attraction, breakfast buffet, and watch. Follow a real guest journey from start to finish. What’s intuitive? What’s frustrating? What signage do people miss? Where do they pause, hesitate, or ask for help? This is not about finding faults with staff. It’s about identifying friction points and moments that could be great but aren’t - yet.

3. Ask Curious Questions

After your walk, gather your team and those external observers and ask open questions: “Where did the experience exceed expectations?” “Where did it feel unclear or disjointed?” “What moments felt forgettable, or magical?” “If this was your first time here, what would stand out to you?” This is where the gold is. You’ll get ideas, not just complaints.

4. Make It a Ritual, Not a One-Off

A Gemba Walk isn’t a once-a-year thing. Set a regular rhythm, monthly, quarterly, every season. Pick different flows, invite different people, and bring the findings back to your team. When done well, it becomes a key part of your experience strategy.

Why It Matters

You’re not selling tickets or rooms. You’re delivering moments. Delight. Surprise. Ease. Connection. But those things don’t happen automatically. You have to notice where they live, and, where they fall flat. A Gemba Walk puts you back in touch with the reality of your guest experience. And when you really see it, you can start to shape it - intentionally, meaningfully, and with fresh energy.

So, when’s your next walk? And who are you inviting along?

Let us know if you try it. We’d love to hear what you discover.