For Guatemala, this corridor represents a golden opportunity to highlight its tourism and cultural strengths. Harris Whitbeck Cain, Guatemala’s Minister of Tourism, stressed that Belize contributes its natural attractions and beaches; the Riviera Maya offers consolidated tourism infrastructure; while Guatemala brings to the table its rich Mayan heritage, with landmarks such as Tikal. The project is conceived as a multi-destination corridor, not in the style of a cruise stopover, but rather to promote longer stays that directly strengthen local economies.
The initiative also ties in with air connectivity. Guatemala boasts the Mundo Maya International Airport, with a 3-kilometer runway, and Air Canada has recently launched a Montreal–Guatemala route to attract European travelers. Plans also include strengthening links with Cancún, Mérida, and Mexico City, consolidating an integrated tourism ecosystem.
This momentum coincides with another bold environmental initiative. In August 2025, the leaders of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize signed the “Biocultural Corridor of the Great Maya Forest” in Calakmul, protecting 5.7 million hectares—making it the second largest forest reserve in the Americas after the Amazon. The agreement also includes projects aimed at soil regeneration, reforestation, and food security for around two million local inhabitants.
On the global stage, agencies such as AP noted that, although the Maya Train has faced criticism from environmental groups—particularly for deforestation and the potential impact on cave systems—the leaders insist that the international expansion will be pursued responsibly. Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo was categorical: the railway must not cross protected areas and must be preceded by rigorous environmental studies.
From a technical standpoint, the Maya Train was inaugurated in December 2023 and completed as a main circuit in December 2024, running through five southeastern Mexican states. It operates with 42 X’Trapolis Tsíimin K’áak trains built in Mexico, and is projected to carry up to three million passengers annually once in full operation.
The railway has already positioned itself as a tool to diversify tourism beyond Mexico’s Caribbean coast, connecting major archaeological sites, indigenous communities, and historically underserved regions. With its proposed international expansion, the project aims to become a regional backbone with social, ecological, and economic impact.
The proposal is not only an infrastructure project but also an integrated regional vision. If carried out with tangible measures for environmental protection, community inclusion, and trinational coordination, the Maya Train could stand as a model of sustainable cooperation in Mesoamerica. The challenge will be to balance connectivity, development, and conservation in one of the world’s most culturally and environmentally rich regions.
