Long before ecotourism became fashionable, the Falzon family dreamed of building a sustainable tourist destination in Alice Springs. The year was 1999 and the Falzon’s hope was to build a business where education, ecology and tourism could sit side-by-side.
Twenty years later and the family owns and operates one of the world’s first carbon neutral tourist destinations. The Falzon’s Earth Sanctuary incorporates sustainability education into its tour formats allowing visitors to experience the local ecology and culture amidst a native wilderness.
The ‘Sanctuary’ as it has become known offers real-life displays from wind and solar energy, water catchment and harvesting, horticulture, waste management and fully-functioning eco-domes. This commitment sets a benchmark for sustainability, and in doing so, Earth Sanctuary is committed to confronting climate change head-on through ongoing research, investment and development.
The Falzon family at Earth Sanctuary
Over its long 20-year history, the sanctuary has now entertained, informed and inspired over 70,000 visitors.
The Earth Sanctuary’s commitment to eco-tourism is recognised externally through its Advanced Eco-accreditation, as well as Land for Wildlife membership (15 years), Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC), Tourism Quality (T-Qual), Respect Our Culture (ROC).
The family remains committed to their promise of delivering a sustainable eco-experience and hope that their work will inspire visitors to take action on climate change.
https://youtu.be/AElRs4LxzWs
Earth Sanctuary is committed to spreading its ecological message, and in keeping with this, the family launched one of Australia’s first curriculum-based sustainability, ecology and culture tours in 2001. The ‘Earth’s Cool’ tour now attracts over 2500 visitors each year from all major education tourism operators to the Northern Territory including GET Education Tours, Remote Tours and Austours.
It’s just one way the business carries out its mantra of sustainability in action. Everything the Falzon family does is to ensure any current needs are not met at the expense of future generations.
“In other words, without sustainable thinking and practices, we may survive the short term but the long term becomes increasingly uncertain,” writes the Falzon’s on the family’s website.
“Earth Sanctuary’s philosophy encompasses the understanding that human health and prosperity is inextricably connected to and dependent on environmental health. Earth Sanctuary’s brand is built on accountability and trust where the act of caring for, protecting and promoting the environment including that of cultural perspectives is central to its philosophy and business plan.”
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