Havana Cigars Consolidate their Presence on the Market

During the opening of the event, the Habanos S.A. Vice-president, Manuel Garcia, stated that the business transactions carried out by the company last year generated an income of 360 million US dollars, which reaffirms that the Cuban product is the world market leader among Premium cigars.

Speaking before some 1,400 cigar experts and aficionados from 72 countries, Garcia explained that even though this figure represents an 8 percent fall as compared to the 2008 input, the market quota was increased in terms of units.

The decrease in sales was a result, among other reasons, of the international financial crisis, the drop in international air traffic and the anti-smoking campaigns, he explained.

One of the highlights of this year’s Havana Cigar Festival will be the introduction, for the first time, of a combination of Havana cigars and Tequila, with the participation of 11 firms and 13 brands of the Mexican beverage.

Scheduled for Monday evening was a special concert by Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes, the 2009 Grammy winner in the category of Best Album of Latin Jazz together with Brazilian Ivan Lins and Portuguese singer Mariza.

Habanos S.A has an exclusive distribution network covering more than 150 countries.