Caribbean Review: We Tour’s Pursuit For Cleaner Tourism

Tomasz Tomal

Sint Maarten announced the first electric sightseeing train in the Caribbean to promote green tourism and reduce emissions in early December 2025. Sint Maarten’s Government announced plans to introduce solar charging stations by 2026, ensuring the train’s full reliance on renewable energy. This move marked a large step and a rallying call for more green tourism and sustainability in Sint Maarten.

We Tour’s Mission

On December 2, 2025, We Tour, a sustainable touring company in Sint Maarten, unveiled the first electric sightseeing train on the island. Development officials have described the train’s unveiling as a major step toward advancing sustainable tourism, improving transit in the island’s capital of Philipsburg, and reinforcing the country’s alignment with international Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) standards. The project has rallied support from government leaders, port officials, industry partners, and local cruise companies present when the initiative was originally pitched. Some major cruise companies that collaborate with We Tour include Royal Caribbean International, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, P&O, Aida, Costa, and Disney Cruise Line.

“This electric train is a proud example of how innovation and environmental responsibility can move our tourism product forward,” said Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten. “It reflects Sint Maarten’s broader commitment to smarter mobility and a more resilient tourism economy.”

We Tour has been pursuing sustainability in Sint Maarten for years, with a recent certification by the GSTC and the first and only GSTC-certified tour provider in Sint Maarten in October 2025. We Tour representatives said the certification reinforces the country’s position as a regional leader in responsible tourism practices. 

“This electric train is more than a new attraction — it represents Sint Maarten’s shift toward a cleaner, more responsible tourism model,” said Director of We Tour Raphael Dorra. “We’re proud to lead that transformation with GSTC-certified practices and to demonstrate what responsible mobility can look like for the island.”

At this point, the train can run 90 kilometers before recharging, allowing for two days of continuous tours. We Tour announced plans to integrate solar charging by 2026, alongside the company’s plan to transition its entire fleet to electric trains within the same year. We Tour has also maintained programs that benefit residents, including providing free rides to nonprofit groups, the elderly, and schoolchildren.

The electric train offers an alternative to the traditional trolley service, expanding tourism to the cultural and historical heart of Philipsburg, all while reducing emissions. Officials highlighted that the new train could also help stimulate the local economy by exposing passengers to local businesses. Philipsburg has a wide selection of local shops, restaurants, artisans, and cultural attractions that could benefit from more tourist and local attention. With more foot traffic, thanks to operational agreements between We Tour and major cruise lines, increasing the number of people who could be exposed to the mission toward sustainable tourism and infrastructure is increasing. 

Sustainable Tourism’s Growing Support

According to a Booking.com 2024 study, 82 percent of American travelers from a 31,000-person sample size confirmed that sustainable travel is important to them. This number only continues to grow as more data covering climate change and the destruction that exploitative tourism brings becomes more available.

Studies show warming oceans, mass bleaching, acidification, pollution, disease, and destructive tourism practices have killed over half of the hard coral in the Caribbean since the 1970s. Climate change has also brought intensified hurricanes, rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion, prolonged droughts, ocean acidification, and more to the Caribbean. These problems have put strain on the industrial tourism ability, fisheries, agriculture, water resources, and the national economy of Caribbean nations. All of these effects make the Caribbean one of the most currently affected areas when it comes to climate change and how it affects people’s daily lives. 

Though 2023 data shows Caribbean nations were responsible for less than one percent of that year’s emissions, Sint Maarten’s climate initiative is very important in the fight against rapid climate destruction. The majority of Caribbean emissions and climate troubles stem from pursuing exploitative and energy-intensive tourist practices and infrastructure. Sticking to international GSTC standards is important to help economically tourist-reliant nations preserve the natural beauty and history that they are commercializing, while also providing for jobs and business opportunities. We Tour’s plan to transition their whole fleet of tour trains to electric-powered trains will help lead Sint Maarten even closer to full sustainability.

Other Caribbean nations like Jamaica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Grenada have begun implementing electric vehicles and sustainable energy projects, while Barbados aims for 100% renewable energy by 2030. Nations throughout the region are making strides towards a future with cleaner energy, and We Tour’s initiatives and recent developments could be the push Sint Maarten needs toward sustainable infrastructure.