Havana's Cigar Festival
by James Suckling, European Editor, Cigar Aficionado, January 22, 2001

Cuba is Cigar Mecca. No one can deny it. And this is why so many people come
from all over the world to the annual Habanos Cigar Festival in Havana, sponsored
by Habanos SA, the global distribution company for Cuban cigars. This year's event
is February 19 to 23.

The festival always includes a day of seminars, a day of plantation or cigar factory
visits, a cocktail party in the city and finally a gala dinner at the end of the week. It
sometimes seems as if the event is organized for the Cubans themselves, since the
people in the local cigar business spend most of the time speaking among
themselves. Moreover, the various events -- whether it's a cocktail party in a beautiful
colonial manor house in the center of old Havana or a dinner in one of the city's top
hotels -- are not up to international standards. Yet, you have to go. It's great fun.

It's a must if you are part of the world of Cuban cigars, not only those in the cigar
trade but lovers of Cuban cigars (like myself). It's the ultimate reason for any cigar
lover to be in the City of Cigars, La Habana. So who cares if the festival itself leaves
a lot to be desired? You're there with people who work, live and breathe Cuban
cigars. Plus, you are in Havana.

Granted, it's illegal for Americans to attend the festival -- and I have friends who have
had to shell out $3,000 in fines to the U.S. government for the privilege of going.
Another spent at least that much paying his lawyer to get him out of the mess. He
was busted in Nassau, Bahamas, on the way back stateside by some of the nastiest
Customs people on earth. My friends were fined for "trading with the enemy,"
according to archaic laws created when most of us were either in diapers or the deep
dreams of our mothers.

So, if you do travel to this year's event, I suggest Cancún as the best route. Forget
Nassau. There are usually two or three flights a day through Mexico's second-rate
copy of Miami. Check the Internet for flight information (travelocity.com is a good
site.) Or call a travel agent in Cancún. All the information is there. It's usually a few
hundred bucks round trip. Don't arrive in Cancún without a ticket for Havana, since
Mexicana (through Aerocaribe) charges about $3,000 for a same-day round trip.
You can buy your Cuban tourist visa when you check in at the airport for $15.

Last Friday I took the evening flight at about 8 p.m. and it was full of Americans.
There was a group of about 20 ladies, part of a group called Women of Faith. They
were going on a "missionary trip" to help the Cubans with their faith. Their
intentions were obviously sincere, but the women knew nothing about Cuba. They
seemed surprised that it had a large airport with electricity and running water. "What
are all those big planes like Air Fraaance doing here!" one said. What did she expect
-- DC3s or large balloons?

Then there were the Chicago businessmen out for some bonefishing. They asked me
a few questions about the Cuban economy as we rode the bus from the plane to the
terminal. "I heard Cuba has a lot of nickel," said one. "Sounds like a business
opportunity."

Finally, there were five lads from New York out for a five-day diving trip. I wasn't
sure what type of diving they were actually planning on doing -- I didn't see any
scuba gear with them. They said that they were going to the Isla de la Juventud in the
morning. One was particularly chatty, boasting loudly so everyone on the plane
could hear that he came to Cuba regularly. "This island has long been a wonderful
conservation area for diving," he said. "There is nothing better." I guess he didn't
know that it had been a penal colony for a very long time.

I am not sure how many of these fellow American travelers will be returning for
February's festival, but if they do, here's what is planned. "III Festival del Habano" is
divided into two programs (which seems to be asking for organization problems but
I wish them the best), one called "senior program" and the other "junior program."

You can sign up for the junior program, which I assume is for people who have not
experienced the Cuban cigar world before. This includes a welcome cocktail party,
trade fair, lunch, visits to tobacco fields in Pinar del Río and a Habana factory, as well
as a gala dinner. That's all for $900. You can skip the gala dinner and have the rest
for $460. Or you can simply go to the gala dinner for $500.

The senior program is basically the same, but you visit a cigar factory in Villa Clara
(including accommodation in Varadero) and a Havana factory for machine-made
mini-cigars instead of the fields of the Vuelta Abajo and a handmade cigar factory.
It's $1,000 rather than $900. Minus the gala dinner, it's $560.

For me, the most fun during the festival is hanging out in Havana for the week,
visiting cigar shops and spending time with cigar merchants and aficionados from
around the world. The gala dinner is also amusing in a kitsch sort of way. There's
usually good smoke abound as well as adequate drink -- too bad about the food. Yet,
there's a good buzz to the event that only a room full of cigar aficionados can create.
Even Fidel Castro normally shows up, although he no longer smokes.

Contact Habanos S.A. for more information. You can reach the company by
telephone at (53) 7-339509 or fax (53) 7-338946. It also has e-mail (although I have
never had any luck getting through that way this year): habanos@habanos.cu.