tourism is the mainstay of the economy of antigua and barbuda and is the leading sector in terms of providing employment and creating foreign exchange. in 1999 it contributed 60 percent of gdp and more than half of all jobs. according to the americas review 1998, tourism contributed 15 percent directly and around 40 percent indirectly to the gdp in 1998. real growth in this sector has moved from an average of 7 percent for the period 1985-89 to 8.24 percent for the period 1990-95. there was slow growth between 1995 and 1998.