Cigar communities and industry players are gathering at the Indonesian Cigar Festival (ICF) 2026, held at the Atrium Bali Collection in The Nusa Dua, Badung, Bali, from the 1st to the 3rd of October, with hopes of expanding the local cigar market internationally.
ICF 2026 brings together various cigar manufacturers and communities from across Indonesia, including PT Perkebunan Indonesia (PTPN) III from Deli Serdang, North Sumatra; Dos Hermanos from Kudus, Central Java; Taru Martani from Yogyakarta; and PT Basuki Raya Cigar from Jember, East Java.
ICF Organising Committee Chairman Opa Ewin stated that the cigar industry contributes to state revenue through excise taxes. According to him, this demonstrates that significant market opportunities for Indonesian cigars still exist abroad.
“Excise tax revenue [from the local cigar industry] has exceeded Rp224 trillion. That is a substantial contribution to state revenue. So, our focus here is on fostering collaboration among all tobacco farmers,” said Ewin on Thursday, the 1st of October.
Furthermore, Ewin believes Bali holds great potential as a gateway for marketing Indonesian cigars, thanks to the support of its tourism sector.
“We see a great opportunity in Bali because of its high-end tourism. Regarding the specific venues in Bali—and using Bali as a gateway—we are already exporting Indonesian cigars to 22 countries,” he continued.
Data from Statistics Indonesia’s Bali Province branch records Bali’s export value for 2025 at US$565.49 million. Meanwhile, as of July 2026, Bali’s export value stood at US$326.49 million, representing a 1.16% increase compared with the same period the previous year.
Arya Wedakarna, a member of the Regional Representative Council (Dewan Perwakilan Daerah Republik Indonesia or DPD RI) who attended ICF 2026, remarked that Bali possesses a significant tourism market for the development of lifestyle products, including cigars. Furthermore, he believes that Indonesian cigars need better packaging to compete effectively with the imported products currently familiar to consumers.
“Rather than importing from Cuba or North and South America, it is better for us to utilise Indonesian tobacco and products. However, they must be packaged well,” he said.