Cuba’s most famous smoker Fidel Castro gave up the habit years ago, but the 15th Havana Cigar Festival is still going strong. Some 70,000 cigar enthusiasts from all over the world have converged at the event to indulge their love of fine tobacco.
The Havana Cigar Festival is an annual feast for aficionados from all over the world. The five-day celebration includes tours of tobacco farms and factories, as well a tasting competition.
It is also known to attract some special guests.
The gala wrapped up with an auction of some rare and pricy cigars. This year’s most expensive fetched 390 thousand U.S. dollars. All told, collectors spent more than one million dollars at the auction.
Cuban cigars are world famous for their quality. In 2012, sales reached more than 400 million dollars, a steep increase from 2011.
Western Europe loves it Cuban smokes, accounting for over half the market. But even though sales were strong last year, the future of the market is uncertain, as many countries have approved restrictive smoking laws.
Cuban cigars are banned in the United States, the world’s largest cigar market, because of a 50-year embargo. But as the Asian market continues to grow, countries like China may eventually take up the slack.