Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda claims 365 beaches—'one for every day of the year'—a marketing claim that captures how completely this twin-island nation has reoriented from sugar monoculture to tourism. The islands were settled by English colonizers in 1632, who imported approximately 140,000 enslaved Africans to work sugar plantations. Today tourism accounts for 60% of GDP and 46% of employment, while the plantation ruins at Betty's Hope serve as heritage attractions.

The two islands evolved differently. Antigua (108 square miles) hosts 99% of the population and drives the economy. Barbuda (68 square miles) never developed sugar plantations; its inhabitants remained fishermen and subsistence farmers, maintaining communal land tenure. This divergence proved catastrophic in 2017 when Hurricane Irma destroyed 95% of Barbuda's buildings, forcing evacuation of nearly the entire island to Antigua.

The country has become the Caribbean's fastest-growing economy, with 6.3% GDP growth in 2024 and 4.8% projected for 2025. Multiple revenue streams contribute: luxury beach tourism, cruise ships, yachting, and—notably—citizenship by investment. For $230,000, investors gain an Antiguan passport with visa-free access to 150+ countries including the EU Schengen Area and UK. The ECLAC projects significant increases in citizenship investment inflows.

The blue economy represents Antigua's strategic future. An exclusive economic zone of 111,568 km² supports fisheries, maritime transport, and coral reef tourism. The Frigate Bird Sanctuary in Barbuda—a Ramsar wetland site—exemplifies the ecosystem services that underpin the economy. But climate change threatens this foundation: increasing hurricane intensity endangers both the natural assets and the infrastructure built to exploit them.