This People-to-People experience offers US Citizens the chance to visit Cuba legally and to get to know the people behind the famous cigars.

(TRAVPR.COM) USA - December 30th, 2013 - Shelton, CT  December 28th 2013

In 1492, Christopher Columbus took part in a friendly gift-giving ceremony with the natives of one of the Caribbean islands in what became the first encounter between tobacco and the Old World.  More than 500 years later, In Touch Travel Services offers the opportunity to travel to Cuba under the People-to-People program to rediscover the history of tobacco, getting in touch with Cuban life in the plantations and meeting those who, from generation to generation, have passed down the secrets to produce the best cigars in the world.

This 8 days tour is planned to depart on Sunday February 23rd in a 45 minutes flight from Miami to Havana. All participants will have a full-time schedule of educational exchange activities that will result in meaningful interaction between the travelers and individuals in Cuba. Coinciding with the dates of the XVI Habano Festival, the tour includes visits to the cigar fair and the oldest cigar factories in Cuba, as well as to tobacco farms.

Elme Castillo, the licensed tour organizer based in Shelton, Connecticut, said that they have been asked to organize this kind of cultural and educational program: "Cigar aficionados, Cuban history enthusiasts, and even lawyers interested in US-Cuba relations, have frequently asked us to organize tours based around the history of cigars. This tour is a real opportunity and a real resource for anyone with an interest in Cuba. We will have the chance to meet farmers and cigar rollers to learn about their incredible skill, their way of life, and hear from them about the effect of the economy in the countryside of Cuba. We will attend lectures and panel discussions about  techniques for environmental protection, such as the use of natural fertilizers, and we will get in touch with new entrepreneurs that are emerging after the change of the government policies on self-employment."

According to Castillo there are a wealth of educational and cultural activities for visitors to engage in during the trip. The complete itinerary for this tour can be found online at http://www.intouchwithcuba.com/cigarhistory

Visitors will stay in the city of Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that topped the list of rising destinations in the world in 2013, according to a travel report released by Tripadvisor.

About In Touch Travel Services LLC

In Touch Travel Services holds the specific license from the U.S. Department of the Treasury to organize cultural and educational exchange trips to Cuba under the people-to-people program.  Tours include visits to Havana, Trinidad, Santiago and Guantanamo. In Touch Travel Services also promotes exchanges between American and Cuban artists organizing exhibitions and performances involving US universities and cultural institutions. For more information please visit http://www.intouchwithcuba.com and http://www.intouchwithcuba.org

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