🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island Caribbean nation of just 100,000 people with a GDP around $1.8 billion. Tourism is everything here — it accounts for roughly 60% of GDP and 70% of employment. The country has 365 beaches, one for every day of the year, which is the national tourism slogan. Antigua hosts one of the Caribbean's premier sailing events, Antigua Sailing Week. Barbuda, the smaller island, was devastated by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and is still recovering. The country runs a Citizenship by Investment program that generates significant revenue.

Beyond tourism, the Citizenship by Investment program brings in over $100 million annually. Construction and financial services fill out the rest. The US, UK, and Canada are the primary source markets for tourists. Public debt is high at around 80% of GDP, and the country is extremely vulnerable to hurricane damage — a single storm can wipe out an entire year's GDP growth.

Antigua's Nelson's Dockyard is the only continuously working Georgian dockyard in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Barbuda's Frigate Bird Sanctuary hosts one of the largest colonies of magnificent frigatebirds in the Western Hemisphere, with over 5,000 birds.

Tourism dependency is a double-edged sword — great when cruise ships are full, devastating when hurricanes hit or pandemics strike. Climate resilience investment will determine Antigua's future.