FRANKFURT (AFP) – The Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, will focus this year on the digital sector, organizers said Thursday, as the show seeks to arrest a decline in exhibitor numbers. With smart-phones and electronic books all the rage, "reading is undergoing a revolution," the fair's director Juergen Boos told reporters.
However, he added that the fair "is dedicated to content" and will showcase authors and editors rather than technology.
The fair, which welcomed 290,000 visitors last year, will have 6,930 exhibitors this year, a five-percent drop compared to 2009, organizers said.
The decline is mainly due to the fact that Argentina is this year's "guest of honor" and is bringing a smaller delegation than China, which filled this role last year.
The economic crisis has also hit numbers, preventing some exhibitors -- especially from Eastern Europe -- from making the trip to Frankfurt, the birthplace of Goethe, Boos said.
The 62nd edition of the fair runs from October 6 to 10.
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