Disruption by Tourists Leads to Temporary Closure of Kotagede's 'Between Two Gates'

The ‘Between Two Gates’ (BTG) heritage area in Kotagede, Yogyakarta, was forced to close temporarily due to the actions of visiting tourists. The site’s management reported that the closure lasted for two days following recent incidents.

Joko Nugroho, the manager of BTG, explained that the closure began on the morning of Sunday (31/5). At approximately 07:00 AM, two buses carrying a large group of foreign tourists arrived without prior notice. The sudden arrival of dozens of visitors caused significant discomfort for the local residents.

‘There was a group of foreign tourists, reportedly from Asia, arriving in two buses. Because it was so early and there were so many people, it became very crowded and noisy,’ Joko explained on Wednesday (3/6).

‘Ultimately, a resident questioned why there was no prior notification. Because the number of visitors was too high, we decided to stop entries to prevent further disturbance to the neighbourhood,’ he added.

Located south of the Kotagede Market in the Purbayan Village, Between Two Gates consists of the backyards of residential houses that form a narrow alleyway. While these alleys have become popular photography spots due to social media, the area remains private property.

‘Technically, this is not a public area; it is the backyard of residents’ homes. There has been an agreement since my grandfather’s time to allow this as a thoroughfare,’ Joko stated.

Joko noted that the recent incident was the breaking point for residents’ frustrations. The issue is not with tourists using professional tour guides or agencies, but with independent travellers who arrive based solely on social media trends without following local etiquette.

‘The incident on Sunday was the peak of accumulated anger. While we have installed information boards urging visitors to maintain proper behaviour and reminding them that this is a private area, many independent visitors ignore these rules,’ he said.

Although the site has since reopened, the community is scheduled to hold a meeting to determine future measures. The residents, comprising nine families living along the alley, must reach a consensus on new regulations, such as installing physical barriers or stricter entry protocols, to ensure such incidents do not recur.