A panel at the recent Salon du Luxe conference in Paris. (Courtesy Photo)
Against a backdrop of the terrorist attacks across France that have dented Chinese tourism numbers in the last 12 months, the Salon du Luxe conference in Paris earlier this summer set tongues wagging about the desirability of Paris?as both a travel destination and as a country in which overseas businesses should look to invest.
The conclusion of the two-day conference: the city?s reputation as the undisputed capital of luxury and as a leader in innovation and commerce remains strong, especially for Chinese companies with eyes on new business in the world?s sixth-largest economy. 
?Paris maintains a resilient economy,? said Karen Bidot, co-director of Paris&Co, in her address to more than 1,100 luxury industry executives who attended. ?France is number one in Europe for research and development, with the largest concentration of Fortune 500 companies and a dynamic start-up culture,? Bidot said. Her company has assisted 17 Chinese companies to open business in France since its inception in 2015.
As for the city?s reputation for desirability, Christian Boyens, General Manager of the newly reopened hotel Ritz Paris, described Paris as the city that will maintain its luster?by continually redefining the notion of luxury.

A panel at the recent Salon du Luxe conference in Paris. (Courtesy Photo)

Boyens described how the Ritz Paris has the world?s only Chanel beauty spa (Chanel developed new products ...