Indonesia Cigar Festival Leverages Bali Tourism to Drive Local Tobacco Exports
- 02 Okt 2026 17:02 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- ICF 2026 in Bali promotes locally made cigars to international tourists and global business networks.
- The festival brings together cigar artisans, MSMEs and trade delegations to expand Indonesia's cigar export market.
RRI.CO.ID, Badung - The 2026 Indonesia Cigar Festival (ICF) has opened in Badung, Bali, targeting international tourists as a primary market to introduce locally produced cigars and bolster Indonesia’s position in the global tobacco trade.
Held at the Bali Collection Atrium in Nusa Dua from October 1 to 3, 2026, the annual festival brings together local artisans, micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and international business networks to showcase domestic tobacco craftsmanship.
Regional Representatives Council (DPD RI) member Shri I Gusti Ngurah Arya Wedakarna emphasized that Bali’s substantial foreign tourist arrivals offer a strategic platform to compete against established imported cigar brands from Cuba and South America.
"Last year, Bali welcomed 16 million tourists, seven million foreign visitors and approximately nine million domestic tourists, this represents a massive market share, especially among tourists who already have a lifestyle culture surrounding cigars," Arya said in Badung Regency on Thursday, October 1, 2026, as quoted by Antara.
Arya noted a shift in consumer trends over the past three years, with tourists increasingly viewing premium cigars made from natural dried tobacco leaves as an authentic lifestyle choice.
ICF 2026 Committee Chairman and Bali Promotion Board Chairman Opa Ewin highlighted Indonesia's status as the world's fourth-largest tobacco exporter, noting that the national tobacco sector contributes significantly to state revenue through excise duties.
"The festival aims to connect the cigar industry, business networks, and the creative economy in a collaborative space that opens doors toward international markets," Opa Ewin said.
The event features hand-rolled products from regional MSMEs across Indonesia, including entry-level cigars priced below IDR 50,000 (USD 3.20) to challenge perceptions that cigars are exclusively luxury goods. With trade delegations from ASEAN nations and partners such as InterTabac Germany attending, organizers aim to expand export reach beyond existing primary markets in China and Russia. ***
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