Employment in tourism-related activities has increased significantly (+37%) in Réunion between 2011 and 2018, i.e. growth 2,3 times higher than that of total employment according to an INSEE study.
Tourism employed 13,500 people in 2018, or 4,6% of total employment. Self-employed people held 20% of these jobs (compared to 12% of all jobs). Their number increased more sharply between 2011 and 2018 than that of employees. 35% of these jobs (4 700) were in the hotel and catering industry in 2018, land transport representing 13% of the total and leisure activities 12%.
Two in three tourism jobs were located in the West and the South. INSEE also looked at the figures for the 3rd quarter of 2020 to assess the extent of the recovery in the tourism sector after the shutdown linked to the health crisis.. The activity remained slow, however the loss was relatively limited in July-August, compared to previous months, with a drop in attendance of 19% compared to 2019. But only half of the rooms were occupied in August.
Hotel turnover, restaurants and car rental companies gradually recovered during the southern winter, without however regaining its pre-crisis level.
Bernard Grollier
