In Cuba now. Price increases. Insanity.

[Pinkbottles]

11 hours ago, helix said:

Cuba is fast losing its shine.

Absolutely. NC’s don’t taste that bad after all at these prices. I’ll limit myself to pc’s primarily for Cubans going forward. I think Rob is right. 24 months from now we will be looking at a different situation.

[La_Tigre]

2 hours ago, ha_banos said:

I wonder how much of Cuba's tourism is related to the cigar industry? Probably tiny proportion?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/cuba-tourism-recovery-pandemic

Hard to really say but the times we’ve been…a lot of goods being thrown about with people that frequented mostly paladars and casas. Didn’t meet any resorters. Definitely not on the order of that population but they typically do the all-inclusive and do not spend out much.

 

Edit: Point being, perhaps not a big effect on the general Cuban population, but fairly huge as it relates to this board and those affected around it’s hobby and topic. 

[Corylax18]

57 minutes ago, La_Tigre said:

Hard to really say but the times we’ve been…a lot of goods being thrown about with people that frequented mostly paladars and casas. Didn’t meet any resorters. Definitely not on the order of that population but they typically do the all-inclusive and do not spend out much. 

This is a great point. Certainly a small % overall, but with a much larger overall affect. I know there are people that do both, but most of the cigar tourists I know put a lot of money into the real economy per capita. Hell, I'm going next week and I had to tell people to stop sending me cash to bring down. I don't need to have a conversation with the IRS about why I need to bring more than $10k to Cuba. None of that will go straight to the government. A lot of it is coming from guys who haven't been able to make the trip over the last couple years and they're still trying to help. I don't think you see that from many of the all inclusive patrons. 

[Puros Y Vino]

1 hour ago, ha_banos said:

I wonder how much of Cuba's tourism is related to the cigar industry? Probably tiny proportion?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/cuba-tourism-recovery-pandemic

That would be good to know.  My observations are this.

Canadians tend to be one of the larger groups that travel to Cuba for vacations due to price and proximity.  Europeans, Asians, Russians probably make up a large contingent as well.  Most Canadians go to the All Inclusives. Varadero, Cayo Coco, etc.  Some are cigar smokers and will stock up while there.  Many will buy cigars in the hopes of selling them back home to pay for a portion of their trip.  Unfortunately, they are the majority of buyers who get their cigars on the beach.

Canadian cigar tourists, tend to go to Havana with the sole purpose of stocking up, enjoying the weather and scenery, drinking copious amounts of rum and smoking stupid levels of cigars per day with friends.  I've gone down 4 times with a good contingent of friends. Sometimes 5 - 10+. I'd say each of us will spend a few thousand between cigars, hotels, meals, drinks and local debauchery.  Throw in several cab rides per day, a tip here and there and IMO we're injecting good money into the economy.  Multiply that by the other groups that come in and I would say it's not insignificant. 

[Chas.Alpha]

On 7/12/2022 at 7:53 AM, RockemSockem said:

Hi guys. 
 

I want to share this spreadsheet that was sent to me. I don’t know how accurate all the numbers are, but the few prices I’ve checked seem to match (including the RASS and Presidente sticks I bought). No guarantees on this info!

Attached: New Cigar Prices in Cuba

You want to look at the column UNIDAD which is the $USD amount in Cuba.

Download the file and open in Excel. It’s throwing errors in my Googles sheets. 
 

Regards,

 

Copia de LP 002 Cadenas nuevo precio.xlsx 148.84 kB · 32 downloads

I believe that I've cracked the code! It's a popularity contest. Taking Cohiba and Trinidad out of the mix, if you look at the price increases it seems that the more popular a cigar is, the greater the % increase. RASS for example has gone up from $10/stick to over $16. I am basing my comparison not on the old prices in Cuba, but rather my recollections of past 24/24 which were pretty spot on with other retailers globally. There must have been a reason that they discontinued the 50 cab of Punch DC's but kept the Lusi 50's. They used to be priced somewhat neck and neck, but now the Lusi is $2.58 per stick more. Other less popular sticks don't seem to have taken much of an increase at all.

Of course, I could be totally off base, but it does work into the communist model...

 

11 hours ago, ha_banos said:

I wonder how much of Cuba's tourism is related to the cigar industry? Probably tiny proportion?

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/06/cuba-tourism-recovery-pandemic

Speaking for myself and my posse of marauding bandits, the cigars were the primary reason we went. I also wanted to see the legendary Cuban street musicians and they certainly didn't disappoint! I know the 2nd time down I tipped the musicians +/- $200 CUC. Great players! I also discovered that life has no meaning until you've had Cuban food. I would love to go back, but since there is no longer a cigar price incentive and the window to legally bring back several boxes into the US, I don't see it happening in the near future.

[Salomones]

Saw some new prices for Cuba.

Monte No.2 18$

Partagas No.2 19,4$

Trini Topes 58,85$

RJ WC 16,35$

Genios 81,25$

Esplendidos 96,8$

Siglo VI 82,9$

Siglo IV 49,25$

Piramides Extra 95,95$

 

[SMELTZ]

I have seen Online retailers in Europe drop prices on Cohiba, Trinidad, JL and Por Larranaga. I wonder if they were not selling at the higher prices

 

[Cigar Surgeon]

Here are some thoughts as a Canadian who has been down to Cuba a pile of times:

My people are, or at least at one time were the largest tourist group for Cuba. We've been happy to support the people of Cuba in whatever way we can, but the situation does not make me want to visit any time soon.

• Tying the prices to USD means essentially the entire island has become 3-4x the price of a vacation in Mexico (yes I know about black market currency exchange)
• The above RASS price is almost exactly twice the price in USD of the average NC. I don't mind paying more, but twice the price on top of the above doesn't motivate me in the slightest to go to Havana.

I spoke to some friends here who have also gone many times in the past and they've expressed similar sentiments. Zero interest in going back any time soon. 

 

[Ryan]

I would imagine when Cuba prices cigars in CUP in the cigar shops, alongside the USD price, there will be an influx of cigar travelers once again. Given the unofficial rate available, that will again make Cuba easily the cheapest country in the world for cigars. It has already started in the hotels. The new cigar lounge in the Hotel Nacional charges in CUP.

I know I can bring four friends to a nightclub, buy a bottle of Havana Club Selección de Maestro with accompaniment, ice and food (decent enough) for 5 people, enough to keep us all dancing for three hours, for 20 euro. When I was there in November it was 85 CUP to 1 EUR. Now it's 123.

Me, my old neighbour and her cousin with (Cuban actor) Luis Alberto Garcia, who was DJ-ing in that club in November.

I'd like to see Mexico again someday but I can't wait to get back to Havana.