Panama City, Panama.-Two million Cuban habanos are annually sold in Central America, being Cohiba the leading brand in this region, the Cruz Canela and Trust GB S.A Company General Manager Luis Garcia stated.

In a recent interview with Prensa Latina, the Costa Rican businessman gave some details on the present increase in Club Tobacco sales, a current trend to which the new brand Cohiba Short is also included.

He also highlighted the packaging quality and format of this type of cigar, exhibited in the Habano Festival´s last edition held in Cuba.

In this regard, he stated that Cuban cigars are positively accepted in Central America, a developing tourism region where the US citizens are the main visitors, who no longer have too much restrictions to buy and take such a product .

‘That (cigar) is the forbidden fruit that they cannot afford to have in their nation. They come to our regional countries as tourists and instead of taking a conventional souvenir, they buy and take the Cuban cigar, which is a good incentive for sales in these markets,’ he said.

Garcia Cruz said that despite strong prohibitions and sanctions imposed by health authorities on smokers in nations such as Panama, where prices are very high, Cuban Habano has been quite successful with people.

Despite being a luxury product, we are trying to bring it closer to anyone, because it is in great demand, he stressed.