BERLIN, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Nuremberg International Toy Fair (Spielwarenmesse) returned to the southern German city on Wednesday after a break imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the focus is on sustainability and augmented reality.
"For three years the industry has been waiting for this moment," the organizers said in a statement. Until Feb. 5, visitors will "get to experience the 'Spirit of Play' at first hand."
More than 2,000 exhibitors from 69 countries and regions are showcasing their latest product innovations and trends. For the first time, part of the trade show will also be open to non-professionals during the open day for railroad models and model making on Saturday and Sunday.
With 196 exhibitors, China is the second biggest participant after the host country Germany, which has 442 exhibitors. At the Best of China joint booth alone, more than 120 Chinese companies are exhibiting as a group.
Chinese companies at this year's Spielwarenmesse include wooden toys manufacturer Classic World, board and card game maker Boda Games, Bburago International, specialized in replicas of famous racing cars, such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, and many more.
"Chinese exhibitors traditionally play an important role," a Spielwarenmesse spokesperson told Xinhua on Wednesday.
Germany's toy market saw above-average growth rates during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic but has cooled down since. In the first ten months of 2022, sales declined by 5 percent year-on-year to 4.7 billion euros (5.1 billion U.S. dollars), according to the German Association of Toy Retailers (BVS). (1 euro = 1.09 U.S. dollar) ■