February 17, 2026 | 09:40 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Beach destinations in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta, are the most well-known compared to other regencies in the province. One of them is Sepanjang Beach located in Tanjungsari District. The local government is currently arranging the beach area to attract tourists.
Sepanjang Beach has the longest coastline, calm waves, and white sand. After being revitalized by relocating hundreds of vendors and constructing a coastal road, the beach is now cleaner, more open, and more comfortable for tourists.
Gunungkidul Regent Endah Subekti Kuntariningsih stated that the arrangement of the tourist area is important for it to be more orderly, clean, and sustainable. This includes livening up the night atmosphere at Sepanjang Beach, adopting a successful economic empowerment model implemented in Jimbaran, Bali. The coastal area is also known as a center for evening culinary activities.
"So what we are adopting (from Jimbaran) is its MSME empowerment system. In Jimbaran, there are dining places at night, and that is what we will implement at Sepanjang Beach," said Endah during the Sepanjang Beach clean-up on Thursday, February 12, 2026.
Endah dismissed the idea that the arrangement of Sepanjang Beach will mimic the beaches in Bali. According to her, the direction of tourism development in the area will still maintain its local identity.
"According to the direction from GKR Mangkubumi (Chairperson of the Yogyakarta Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as the daughter of the King of the Yogyakarta Palace) who reminded us yesterday, the development of tourist attractions should not just visually mimic other regions, but be based on the uniqueness of Yogyakarta's history and architecture," she said.
Therefore, Gunungkidul's beach tourism, once rumored to resemble Bali, will prioritize local economic empowerment. By adopting this system, Endah hopes to liven up the beach atmosphere at night as long as the sea's safety conditions permit.
"Of course, (night tourism at the beach) must also be supervised by a search and rescue (SAR) team, if the weather permits, and in the morning, the beach must be clean again. We are not imitating the cultural pattern, both in terms of buildings and others," she said.
One of the efforts is to increase vegetation, like the Pohon Cemara Udang (Casuarina equisetifolia), as a form of disaster mitigation and the strengthening of coastal ecosystems. This vegetation planting is carried out as an initial step before the start of supporting infrastructure construction, such as pedestrian paths and embankments, to ensure that the construction remains in harmony with the natural environment.
After Sepanjang Beach, the Gunungkidul Regency Government plans to continue similar arrangements in other destinations, such as Krakal Beach and the development of religious beaches like Ngobaran Beach.
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