Puro Sabor Festival 2021 canceled

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco Growers (CNT), suspends the 2021 edition of the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival Puro Sabor. However, the Chamber is preparing virtual visits to their factories and master classes by experts and manufacturers of the most prestigious Nicaraguan brands.

“Our priority is the care we want to give to our people in the factories and to the people who would have visited us for the festival. The evolution of COVID-19 is still unpredictable, so we believe we have made the best decision,” said Claudio Sgroi, president of the Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco Growers.

Sgroi, who is also president of Mombacho Cigars S.A., explained that it was a decision discussed in depth and made consciously by all members of the Chamber. “It is a responsible and conscious measure,” said Sgroi, who added that despite the great desire to call for a new edition of Puro Sabor, the sector gave an “example of unity” by deciding that it is best to suspend this great celebration of the Nicaraguan tobacco industry.

“The cancellation of the festival does not mean that we are inactive”, said Sgroi, “on the contrary, we are preparing for the next few months virtual factory tours and personalized virtual master classes with experts and manufacturers of the most prestigious Nicaraguan brands.

The premium tobacco industry employs more than 40,000 people directly. To safeguard their health during the pandemic, tobacco factories have conducted prevention and education campaigns, in addition to adopting strict prevention measures at their facilities. These include establishing hand washing and disinfection stations at the entrance of the factories, mandatory use of masks, and maintaining social distancing.

After the festival was cancelled in 2019, Puro Sabor returned strongly in 2020 with the participation of more than 120 visitors from 21 countries, as far as Australia, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Holland, Portugal, France and the United States, among others.

The Nicaraguan Chamber of Tobacco is an organization established in 2008 that represents the interests of Nicaragua’s most important tobacco and cigar producers. Its 28 members represent 95% of the total national production of tobacco and cigars.