NorthLink staff will join exhibitors from around the country when the ferry company attends the annual Expo event for the travel and tourism industry in Edinburgh next week.

Visitors to NorthLink’s stand (H9-11) at Scotland’s Expo will see how 2007 is set to be another important year for the company, ushering in two major innovations – the introduction of additional cabin space on passenger vessels and the launch of a new holiday and tour package service.

NorthLink’s move into tour provision has been made to help safeguard tourist trade to the Northern Isles following the loss of the Orkney and Shetland Touring Company (OSTC), which ceased trading earlier this year.

Earlier in the year NorthLink consulted trade contacts and local suppliers, who agreed that there was a clear a need for a central booking point to cover all ferry and land-based arrangements.

Consequently, at VisitScotland’s Expo (April 18 and 19) NorthLink will launch a 2008 group tours brochure which will include the most comprehensive range of services that the company has ever been able to offer groups of holidaymakers.