On the Dutch half of the island, "tourism has gobbled up the culture, which is now defined by the hotel/casino industry." The French side is overbuilt but has avoided so far the "fast-food joints," casinos, and concentration of duty-free shops.
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists. They are not necessarily the views of the National Geographic Society:
"St. Maarten/St. Martin has a split personality. The Dutch side has casinos, fast-food restaurants, cruise-ship docks, and high-rise hotels. It is a typical mass-market tourism disaster. The French side has no casinos, fast-food joints, nor high-rises, but it still has problems, mainly too many hotel rooms and overcrowded beaches. I don't know why the hotel industry and cruise-ship companies can't understand the concept of "carrying capacity." More and more hotel rooms and bigger and bigger ships lead to less and less enjoyment and a diminished destination."
"Dutch St. Maarten is in trouble. St. Martin, the French side of the island, is promising in terms of balancing development with the natural resources. The environmental and ecological quality of Dutch St. Maarten is threatened by overdevelopment. The French side of the island is basically intact."
"The threats to the environment are multiple, mainly on the Dutch part of the island. The strong development of tourism without all the necessary measures to address the environment is provoking damages, many irreversible. A change of mentality in the direction of a sustainable development is necessary, especially with regard to natural resources."
"Beautiful hotels and yet piles of trash and burning of trash. Water supply is an issue here as well. On the Dutch side, a number of hotels are half completed and deserted."
"Contrast Dutch St. Maarten (overcrowded with limited character and way too many cruise passengers) with St. Martin (especially Marigot), which has maintained much of its social and cultural integrity. The Dutch side's outlook is negative; the French side needs to protect what it has."
"This island presents one of the best examples of what islands should avoid in tourism development. Tourism has gobbled up the culture of the island, which now is defined by the hotels, casinos, and other modern developments—not the island's historical, artistic, culinary, or other local heritage. Quality of life is a major consideration for residents as well as visitors. There appears to be widespread interest in making changes."
(National Geographic Traveller)