The 16th Habano Festival’s Tradeshow Opens

“This is an event that stands for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share and strengthen friendly ties among producers, retailers, consumers, aficionados and lovers of habanos from around the world,” said Antonio Carricarte, Cuba’s deputy minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, in his keynote remarks at the opening of the 16th Habano Festival’s Tradeshow.

This year’s fair features 68 booths from different countries, such as Germany, Brazil, Italy, China, Spain, Panama and Cuba, and boasts an increase in the number of square meters of exhibition space from the previous edition.

“Habanos draw the attention of different sectors, so that’s why this tradeshow is gathering not only manufacturers and suppliers from the tobacco industry, but also handcrafters, collectors, sellers of smoking accessories, makers of luxury items, impresarios from the printing industry and transportation dealers,” Mr. Carricarte went on to say.

Cuban exhibitors of such flagship domestic products as rum, coffee and lobsters –the ability of these products to be paired with habanos has been proved many times before- are also in attendance.

During his keynote speech at the opening, the Cuban high-ranking official welcomed more than 1,500 delegates from some 80 nations.

The cutting-ribbon ceremony was presided over by Walfrido Hernandez Mesa and Luis Sanchez-Harguindey, Habanos S.A. co-presidents, as well as attendees and exhibitors of this year’s tradeshow.