Just a WhatsApp Chat: Tourist Complaints in Gunungkidul Immediately Addressed

The Gunungkidul Regency Government has introduced a new facility for tourists: a tourism complaint channel via WhatsApp. This step is aimed at strengthening transparency in services and ensuring that every tourist complaint is handled quickly and measurably. The complaint channel, managed by the Public Information Disclosure Unit of the Tourism, Creative Economy, Youth, and Sports Office (Disparekrafpora) in Gunungkidul, can be accessed through the number +62 851-3879-2194. Secretary of Disparekrafpora Gunungkidul, Eko Nur Cahyo, explained that this complaint channel was launched on Monday (13/4/2026), after previously tourist complaints were only submitted through social media without a clear flow. All such reports, according to Eko, will serve as evaluation material to improve future tourism services. To ensure every report is handled properly, Disparekrafpora is currently preparing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling complaints. This SOP will regulate: “All complaints that come in, we follow up. The hope is that all complaints enter through one official door, so the handling is in accordance with regulations and can be accounted for,” said Eko. He emphasised that this complaint channel also serves as an effort to minimise potential violations, such as leakage of levies or collections outside of authority. Head of Disparekrafpora Gunungkidul, Hary Sukmono, hopes that the complaint channel can be maximally utilised by tourists. According to him, this service is the local government’s commitment to ensuring that tourism in Gunungkidul is increasingly safe, comfortable, and accountable.