Ngawi Launches SIMATA MOLEK App to Put Tourism Information on Phones
Ngawi's tourism office has launched SIMATA MOLEK, an app that gathers destinations, food, culture, events and the creative economy in one place on visitors' phones.
Editor's note, Nov. 7, 2026: An earlier version of this article appeared in Indonesian. It has been rewritten in English, and quotes have been translated.
NGAWI — A regency in East Java wants travelers to stop hunting across scattered channels for where to go. Ngawi's tourism office has launched SIMATA MOLEK, an app that gathers its destinations, food, culture, events and creative businesses in one place on a phone.
"Through SIMATA MOLEK, tourists can get all kinds of tourism information in Ngawi Regency," Wiwien Purwaningsih, head of the Ngawi Tourism, Youth and Sports Office (Disparpora), said in a statement on Saturday. She described the app as a tool for both promotion and education.
What is in the app
The name is an acronym for Sistem Informasi Pariwisata Melalui Media Elektronik, or tourism information system through electronic media. It covers nature and cultural destinations, event schedules, food and local creative businesses.
People can download it by scanning a code that the office shares on social media and in its promotional material.
Why Ngawi wants it
The regency's attractions are spread out. Nature sites include Srambang Park, Sumberkoso, Kayangan and the Jamus Tea Plantation on the slopes of Mount Lawu. Selondo, Sumber Nogo and Pengantin Waterfall lie in the mountain area, and the Van Den Bosch fort is the main draw for history visitors.
Office data recorded 93,718 tourist visits to Ngawi during the Lebaran holiday in 2026. Wiwien said she hopes easier access to information will lift visitor numbers further.
