International transport and travel service company Stena Line has today been announced as the Official Travel Partner of this year’s Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.

Stena Line, which is one of the world’s largest ferry companies and a market leader in all its areas of operation, is working in partnership with festival organisers SK Events to increase visitors numbers from Ireland to travel to the popular two day event using their services.

The announcement comes following the company’s recent acquisition of the Liverpool (Birkenhead) to Belfast shipping route. This route will increase Stena Line’s Irish Sea network to five routes and will improve service and frequency for passengers and freight customers between Britain and Ireland.

Unique travel packages will be created by the Stena Line team in the next few weeks to cater for additional overseas visitors wishing to visit the festival from Belfast and also visitors from Dublin via their Holyhead route.

Commenting on the sponsorship Michael McGrath, Stena Line’s Area Director – Irish Sea, said: “We are delighted to be Official Travel Partner of the 2011 Liverpool Food and Drink Festival.

“With our recent acquisition, we are keen to build our presence and identity within Liverpool and its surrounding area and we see this festival as an ideal opportunity to introduce Stena Line to a very important audience. We see great potential in this new route and look forward to growing both tourism and freight significantly”.

Stena Line, will bring a taste of Ireland to the event’s launch weekend at Sefton Park on September 3 and 4 by offering visitors samples of Irish food and drink, complimented by a programme of traditional Irish bands across the two days.

Director at SK Events, Denise Harris, said: “It’s fantastic to have such a prominent international brand onboard for this year’s festival and together we can actively promote Liverpool’s food offering to a much wider audience. Visitors coming over from Ireland will now have the opportunity to see for themselves just how far the city has come in terms of its renowned restaurant and bar scene.

“Liverpool Food and Drink Festival continues to drive tourism into the city and also contributes greatly to its recognition as a high quality destination for food and drink. By having Stena Line as the official travel partner, it is testament to how much the event has grown over the past four years.”

There are now less than six weeks until Liverpool Food and Drink Festival, which will delight thousands of visitors yet again with an array of mouth-watering dishes from some of the finest bars, restaurants, hotels and food retail outlets in the city. Visitors will also be able to enjoy live music, celebrity cooking demonstrations, masterclasses, sampling and a children’s interactive area.

The Festival continues in the city’s bars and restaurants until September 10, with the prestigious Liverpool Food and Drink Festival Awards concluding celebrations on September 12.