The renowned Spanish-Cuban tobacco company, Habanos, made a record-breaking achievement this Saturday by raising a staggering 17.8 million euros, which translates to approximately 19.3 million dollars. This financial triumph was realized during the customary charity auction which marks the end of the Habano Festival. This sum is the highest ever raised in the history of the company’s charity initiatives. The week-long event, which is centered around activities related to the tobacco sector, came to a grand conclusion in Havana. The climax of the event was a gala dinner where six premium humidors, used for storing cigars, were auctioned. The proceeds from this auction will be channeled towards supporting the Cuban health system.
The auction saw the largest humidor being sold for 4.5 million euros, an equivalent of nearly 4.9 million dollars. This sale surpassed the previous record of 4 million euros or 4.4 million dollars, which was set in the previous edition of the auction. The other five humidors that were auctioned during the spectacular gala fetched prices ranging from 550,000 to 3.5 million euros. The high-profile gala dinner was attended by several hundred guests hailing from a diverse range of countries, with a noted increase in attendees from Far East Asia.
Among the distinguished guests was the President of Cuba, Miguel Diaz-Canel. He had returned from the summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), which was held this Friday in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, to partake in this event. The entertainment for the gala was provided by the iconic Village People, with additional performances from composer Josè Maria Vitier, solo artist Laritza Bacallao, and opera singer Barbara Llanes. As per the data provided by Habanos, the company anticipates a total turnover of 721 million dollars, equivalent to 664.5 million euros, in 2023. This marks a 31% increase from the previous year, a growth largely attributed to a surge in sales in the Asia Pacific market.
The company highlighted that Europe remains the leading region in terms of purchases, accounting for 56% of the total. This is followed by the Asia Pacific region with 21%, and America with 13%. The Habano Festival, recognized as the island’s premier luxury tobacco event which comprises workshops, tours, conferences, and a fair, attracted approximately 2,900 participants from 108 countries this time. In addition, 79 companies from 11 different nations were represented at the event.
