The number of visitors to the 2010 Paris Book Fair declined eight percent compared to the 204,000 visitors who packed the exhibition last year, organizers said Thursday.

The six-day book fair, which closed Wednesday, attracted nearly 190,000 people, down eight percent from last year's record attendance, the French Publishers Association said.

The attendance was much lower than the estimated 220,000 visitors expected to attend the 30th annual event.

In addition, organizers noted that the number of publishers that attended as exhibitors also declined because some major French publishing houses passed on the fair due to financial pressures brought by the economic crisis.

However, the publishers' union stressed that visitors showed warmer passion for book signing and related forums, which made the exhibition looked crowded and busy as before.

The next Paris Book Fair will be held March 18-23 next year, also at the Porte de Versailles, organizers said.