Roland Garros, the legendary aviator and excellent amateur tennis player, was born in Saint-Denis Reunion on October 6, 1888. He died on October 5, 1918 during an aerial combat close to the end of World War I, aka the Great War. His celebrity first came from his sporting exploits by plane and especially from his very first crossing of the Mediterranean that he made on September 23rd, 1913. Today the famous Reunionese is associated with one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the world: the French Tennis International of Roland Garros which is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments of world tennis. It takes place in the tennis arena and stadium that bears his name since its opening in 1928.
The French Tennis Federation in association with the Tennis League, the Reunion Region and the Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) pay special tribute to the centenary of the death of Roland Garros (1918-2018), as well as his exceptional career at the French Tennis Open which will run until June 10th 2018 .
Reunion Island, the only tourist destination present from 26 June 2018 has on this occasion a stand that will be decorated in the colors of Reunion, in the new village located in the heart of the Roland Garros stadium.
The Reunion Island Tourism (IRT) will value its image and the plurality of tourism offerings of the island through its new promotional film "Reunion, the intense island", with many expected visitors (personalities the world of sport, cinema, music, media).
In 2017, Roland-Garros stadium welcomed nearly 472,000 spectators over the three weeks of competition and nearly 3,000 media worldwide (TV press, written, radio, social networks).
Discover and rediscover Reunion, an island with dozens of unique attractions, through its history, its active volcano, its peaks, circuses and ramparts inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, its intensely blue lagoon exceptionally preserved and protected by a coral reef, its mesmerizing landscapes, its mixed culture, its spicy gastronomy, its rum and its exotic fruits.
As part of the centennial of the death of Roland Garros (1918-2018) and in view of his exemplary life, his exceptional career, the Reunion Region works and mobilizes various associations and local elected representatives, defenders of his memory, to the Roland Garros entry application process at the Pantheon in Paris. The centenary of the death of this legendary aviator of Reunion origin and hero of the Great War fallen for France, is the perfect opportunity to sensitize the Government around this project which raises a real pride of the Reunion for this great Man who has marked the history of Reunion and the history of France. Perhaps we will have the honor to see this domain enter this mythical place with other Great Men!
A series of events will highlight the key values of Roland Garros, those that combine sportsmanship, cultural sharing and genuine hospitality for travelers to Reunion Island to experience something entirely new.
In Reunion, several places bear his name : the Roland Garros Reunion International Airport, the Roland Garros Street, the Roland Garros Brewery located in a building of the Compagnie des Indes and the Roland Garros High School in Saint-Pierre in the South from the island.
