Paris Business City Guide: introduction
Capital of the world’s fourth largest economy, Paris bustles with activity and purpose. Once a hotbed of social revolution, Parisians today pursue learning, culture and commerce. The city’s renowned universities cultivate a well-educated workforce, which has created vibrant industries in IT, telecommunications, agri-food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

In the service sector, Paris-based AXA is Europe’s largest insurance company and a global giant. Luxury brands Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and others are internationally coveted. Family-owned businesses are a mainstay of the Parisian micro-economy. France’s income from tourism ranks third in the world – proof enough that everybody loves Paris, the world's most visited city.

Paris main business districts

La Défense
Futuristic business suburb to the west of the city. Multinational corporate and banking headquarters congregate around the Grande Arche, along with exhibition halls for trade shows and modern hotels for business travellers.

Champs Elysées (8th arrondissement)
The Champs Elysées and surroundings are a hub for businesses, banks and many office buildings. Also home to embassies, ministries and the presidential palace. Expensive dining and world-famous shopping, plus exclusive hotels and nightclubs.

Right Bank (1st/2nd arrondissements)
The numbering of Paris’s districts, or arrondissements, begins at the Louvre and spirals clockwise (see map). The Right Bank is associated with business, fashion and luxury goods. Government offices are scattered throughout. High-priced hotels, shopping and dining.

Left Bank (6th/7th arrondissements)
Education, publishing and fine arts are concentrated on the Left Bank around the famous Latin Quarter. Boulevard St. Germain has bountiful shops, restaurants and smaller boutique hotels. Further from the river is the Luxembourg Garden.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is headquartered in the 16th arrondissement.

Paris: 10 facts

1. The Paris stock exchange ranks seventh in the world, with share values totalling 50% of French GDP.
2. The high-speed TGV is the world’s fastest train, capable of a record-breaking 515km/hour.
3. The much-jeered French National Library (dubbed the TGB or Très Grande Bibliothèque) cost more than €1 billion.
4. In any given week, more than 400 films are playing in Parisian cinemas, most in their original language.
5. The height of the Grande Arche in La Défense could accommodate the towers of Notre Dame Cathedral.
6. The world’s first department store, Le Bon Marché, opened on the Left Bank in 1870.
7. No building in Paris is more than 500m from a metro station.
8. The French government is the city’s largest employer.
9. After sunset, lights on the Eiffel Tower sparkle for ten minutes at the start of every hour.
10. Openly gay mayor Bertrand Delanoë leads the city’s first Socialist administration since 1871.