Cuba will launch a new tour program aiming to showcase its world famous cigar making heritage.
The Tourism Ministry recently announced plans for the Tobacco Trail, which is due to kick off in September in the western province of Pinar del Rio, which is home to many tobacco plantations.
The trail will start in Consolacion del Sur, and on to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Vinales Valley, where the leaves used to make Cuba’s iconic Habanos cigars are found.
"We aim to show visitors all the steps involved in an enterprise that has distinguished this province for centuries," said Deborah Henriquez, the ministry’s regional official.
"We got the idea of creating a circuit that covers the complete production cycle, from the seeds to the smoke," she added.
Tourists will have the opportunity to visit some of the factories producing Cuba’s premium hand-rolled cigars
If and when the US-Cuba trade embargo is fully lifted, industry estimates say the US could make up about 25% of Cuba’s export market for cigars.
